


Parchment & Vellum

by Gefionne



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Graduate Student!Kylo, Librarian!Hux, Library AU, Library Sex, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-08 20:02:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 32,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7771264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gefionne/pseuds/Gefionne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Hux, rare books librarian, the reading room is his sanctuary, but when graduate student Kylo Ren arrives, Hux’s ordered world is turned on its head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [minzimpression](https://archiveofourown.org/users/minzimpression/gifts).



> A belated wedding present for the irreplaceable [minzimpression](http://minzimpression.tumblr.com/). Congratulations, babe!
> 
> My sincere thanks to my bae [stief-and-backie](http://stief-and-backie.tumblr.com/) and my darling sis [nookienostradamus](http://nookienostradamus.tumblr.com/) for the epic beta services.

##  Chapter One

The library, contrary to popular and asinine romantic notions, was not composed of shadowed nooks and towering stacks filled with musty, even moldering volumes. There was an unmistakable smell of old paper in parts of it, but that clung more to the durably bound periodicals from the 1960s than to the rare manuscripts.

No, those books were not kept on secluded old shelves in disused parts of the building, where they could be stumbled upon by an errant bibliophile who was bold enough to venture deep into the collection. They were housed in neatly catalogued acid-free boxes in a secure, temperature-controlled archive at the center of the newly renovated D. Vader Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

The shelving was clean and white, the archival boxes gray and marked only with accession numbers. The space didn’t echo as Hux pushed his wheeled cart down the aisle, but it wasn’t a muffled, quiet place either. Some would probably call it sterile. That was necessary, of course, to properly preserve the books.

Stopping at the shelf to his left, Hux lifted one of the nondescript boxes up and slid it into its place. It contained a seventeenth-century nobleman’s diary that was worth more than double what Hux earned in a year as the rare books librarian. He hadn’t entered the profession for the money, though; no one did. They did it for the joy of the work.

Hux moved on to the next shelf, putting away a box of archival materials that a patron from overseas had requested be pulled for her doctoral research. She had spent the past nine days in the reading room going through them. The digital production center had scanned a number of them for her to take back to her university, but the originals never went beyond the reading room, which was monitored by ten strategically placed cameras. If someone so much as removed a cotton glove while handling one of Hux’s manuscripts, he could be there in an instant to rebuke them or remove the item.

The books didn’t belong to him, of course. They had been purchased for or donated to the Hosnian University Libraries by the numerous benefactors who had helped to make Hosnian a preeminent research university. Its collections of medieval manuscripts drew researchers from all over the world every year. But Hux was in charge of them. He knew the collection inside and out. If the library owned it, Hux knew where it could be found. So, in part, he did consider the books his.

He had come to Hosnian eight years before as a young man fresh out of library school and had begun an internship in the Vader Library. He had been good at his work and dedicated himself to it, so much so that when he had graduated, the head of the libraries had offered him a permanent position. He had not hesitated to take it. When the senior rare books librarian had retired a year ago, he had simply stepped into her place.

“Hux.”

He looked up to see Phasma, the head of conservation, walking towards him. He nodded to her in greeting.

“Do you have the Erasmus codex with you?” she asked.

“I believe so,” he replied. “It was just being used.”

“Yeah, and the patron decided they didn’t want to use a cradle with it, so they almost cracked the spine. I have to sew a couple of pages back in.”

Hux scowled. “I wasn’t told about this.”

“Mitaka didn’t tell you?”

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Hux sighed. Mitaka was the newest addition to their staff, an archivist. He was young, but had interviewed well and had a solid resumé. He hadn’t quite mastered the procedures of the department, however. All damaged materials were to be reported to Hux first and then he would send them to Phasma to be repaired.

“I think I’ll need to have a word with him,” Hux said.

“He’s on the reference desk right now,” said Phasma. “Don’t be too hard on him.”

Hux gestured to the remaining boxes on the cart. “Do you mind?”

“No. I’ll take care of it.”

Hux left the storage room by way of the main door, which he had to swipe his ID badge to get through. Warm air washed over him as he exited into the reading room. The storage space was kept cooler for the sake of the books.

He acknowledged the two patrons using materials as he passed them. One, a graduate student with long blond hair, smiled and gave him a lingering look. She had been coming in for the past several weeks and had never seemed to understand that Hux had no interest in flirting with her. She was pretty, but he wasn’t inclined to women.

As Hux swung the glass door to the reading room open, he heard voices from the reference desk. One was Mitaka’s, but the other was deeper and unfamiliar.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you have to make an appointment beforehand to use the materials. They have to be pulled from the stacks and set up in the reading room.”

“Look, I can wait for a while. It can’t take that long to find a few books.”

Rounding the corner, Hux stepped up beside Mitaka behind the desk. “It actually can take some time.”

The young man across from him glared. “Who are you?”

“I’m the rare books librarian. I’m in charge of the collection. May I ask your name?”

“Kylo.”

Hux kept his expression schooled despite his interest in the unusual name. Not that he had any room to talk; his parents had bestowed upon him the unfortunate title of Armitage, his maternal grandfather’s surname.

He extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ll be happy to help you with your research.”

Kylo eyed Hux’s fingers for a moment, but then shook his hand. “Are you going to make me make an appointment?” He glanced at Mitaka. “He said I need one.”

“It’s customary to request a research consultation before coming into the archive,” Hux said. “It’s meant to help you find the most relevant resources.”

“I looked online for what I need.”

“I may be able to identify some other materials that might be of use to you that you could not find yourself.”

Kylo crossed his arms over his chest. He was wearing a plain black henley with the sleeves rucked up to his elbows. “Are you saying I don’t know how to do research?”

“Of course not,” said Hux. “I’m only offering my services to help you. It might save you some time. I know how valuable that is when you’re working on a project. May I ask what that is?”

“My thesis,” said Kylo.

“Which is on?”

“Weapons of the Middle Ages.”

“Well,” said Hux, “you’ve come to the right place. We have a broad collection of primary source material for you to look at. If you’d like to come back tomorrow, I’ll have a look through the catalog and pull some items for you to start with. I can also make sure I retrieve the things you’ve already decided you’d like to see. Do you have a list?”

Kylo slid a crumpled piece of notebook paper across the desk toward him. Hux picked it up and examined it. There were four manuscripts, all of which Hux knew would be good for the type of research Kylo was doing, but off the top of his head he could think of at least four more that would be equally good, if not better. Once he had had a chance to look over the catalog in more detail, he would surely turn up more.

“This is a good start,” Hux said. “What time are you available tomorrow?”

“I work all day tomorrow,” Kylo said. “I really needed this stuff today.”

Hux pursed his lips. With so few people in the reading room, it wasn’t unfeasible. “All right. Have a seat and I’ll get one of these.”

“Just one?”

“Start with one and when you’re finished with it, I should have a few other books for you.” He smoothed out the paper, looking over the remarkably tidy handwriting. “How long do you have to complete your research?”

“Two weeks,” said Kylo.

“Very good. Then I’ll make sure I’m thorough.” He glanced at Mitaka. “My colleague will check your bag here. You can pick it up when you’re finished. Only pencils and paper and laptops are permitted in the reading room.”

Kylo dropped his leather bag on the ground, pulled out his MacBook, and handed the bag to Mitaka. He put it in one of the cubby holes on the shelf behind him.

Hux led the way into the reading room, Kylo trailing behind. He was an inch or two taller than Hux, but far broader, and his dark hair hung down to his shoulders. He looked the part of the worn graduate student who spent many long, black coffee-fueled nights bent over a keyboard tapping out his papers.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Hux said. “Please sit.”

Kylo stalked over to one of the desks and sank down into the chair. Hux left him there, returning to the storage space to pull the first of the manuscripts he had requested.

When Hux returned, he was pushing a cart. He had the book, but also a foam cradle for it to rest in so it didn’t put stress on the spine. He had brought two pairs of white cotton gloves to keep the parchment pages of the book safe from the oils on his and Kylo’s hands.

Kylo had been slouched down in his seat, but as Hux approached with the cart, he sat up. He looked genuinely excited when Hux pulled out the book and set it into the cradle. That was one of the things Hux enjoyed about his work; being in the company of scholars who also cared about the books.

“I’m going to go to my office to see what other resources I can find for you,” he said. “If you need anything or have any questions, ask Mitaka. He can phone me to come down.”

“Okay,” was Kylo’s terse reply.

It took Hux a few hours at his computer to put together at least a preliminary bibliography for Kylo, but it was easily more than a week’s worth of materials for him to go through. Medieval weaponry was a broad topic, but Hux resolved to ask Kylo more about his specific focus after he was finished in the reading room for the day.

It turned out he didn’t need to wait that long. At around one o’clock, Mitaka came bustling into Hux’s office, flustered and a little red in the face.

“Ah, Mr. Ren is asking to see you, sir,” he said.

Hux cocked a brow. “Mr. Ren?”

“Kylo Ren. The patron we—you—helped earlier?”

“For what?”

“He just said he wanted to see you.”

Hux rose, pressing his palms onto the surface of his desk. “The reading room isn’t really a place for a conversation. Can you send him up?”

“Yes,” said Mitaka. “I’ll just go get him.”

Exactly four minutes later, Kylo came through the door without so much as knocking. “I’m finished with that book. I need the next one on the list.”

“You must read very quickly,” said Hux. “And archaic English, too.”

“It wasn’t exactly what I needed.”

“No? It’s a text on weaponcraft.”

“I’m looking specifically for swords. A certain type of sword.”

“Which is?”

“A saber,” said Kylo. “The light saber, rather than the heavy.”

“You could have told me that to start with,” said Hux. “I need to narrow down what I’ve put together for you so far.”

Kylo folded his arms, pulling at the sleeves of his shirt. “How long is that going to take?”

“Thirty minutes,” said Hux. “Maybe an hour.”

“Is everything here seriously this slow?”

“Please do keep your voice down, Mr. Ren. This is a library.”

Kylo shot him a dark look. Hux held back a laugh. He had never actually had the opportunity to shush anyone. He felt like he had just gone through some librarian’s rite of passage.

“Look, man,” Kylo said, quieter, “I need to get this research done. My advisor is breathing down my neck. I have to graduate next semester.”

“I understand you have a limited timeframe,” said Hux, “but had you made an appointment—”

“Yeah, I get it. I didn’t do it right. Are you going to help me? If not, I’ll find someone else who will.”

If that was a threat, it wasn’t a very effective one. “I’m the head of this department,” Hux said. “There is no one better suited to help you.”

“Then can we get on with it?”

Hux frowned, but nodded. Picking up the handset of his phone, he called down to the reference desk.

“Vader Library Rare Books Room, how may I help you?” Mitaka said.

“You don’t have to use the greeting when you know it’s me,” Hux said.

“Oh, of course. Sorry, Mr. Hux. Is there something you needed?”

“Yes, I need you to go into storage and retrieve two volumes for me.” He read off the titles and accession numbers. “Bring them to Mr. Ren’s table in the reading room, please.”

“Should I go back down there?” Kylo asked.

“Not quite yet,” Hux replied. “It will take a few minutes for him to get the books. I’d like to take this opportunity to hear more about your research.” He gestured to the chair across from his desk. “Please sit.”

Kylo took the chair, though he made no move to slide it closer. He leaned as far back in it as he could, eyeing Hux almost suspiciously.

“So, the medieval light saber. A formidable weapon.”

“Yeah,” Kylo said. “Not as widely used as the broadsword, but it was good for cavalry. Lightweight and all.”

“That makes sense,” said Hux. “Are you looking for the methods of crafting this type of saber or its uses?”

“Those are the basics. It’s an analysis of how that style of weapon made its way across Europe and how its appropriation reflected shifting styles of warfare.”

“You’re arguing that one type of saber changed how wars were fought?”

“Exactly.”

Hux folded his fingers on the desk. “That’s ambitious.”

“It’ll be groundbreaking if I can pull it off,” Kylo said. “And I will. I’m going to get it published. I want to get my PhD, and I need at least one big article if I want to get into Duke or Princeton.”

“Have you published before?”

“I’m co-author on a couple of things. But I need to be single author on this one.”

“That’s very impressive,” Hux said.

Kylo shrugged. “I like what I do.”

“So do I, Mr. Ren. And I assure you I will do my utmost to find you the resources you need. Consider this our initial research consultation. Tonight I’ll pull the materials and have them ready for you tomorrow morning.”

“I told you I’m working tomorrow,” Kylo said. “I’ll be back on Wednesday.”

“Very good,” said Hux. “The reading room opens at eight o’clock.”

Kylo made a face. “I’ll be here at eleven.”

Hux nodded. “All right, but we close at five o’clock. No exceptions.”

“Fine.”

“Then I will see you on Wednesday morning, Mr. Ren,” said Hux as he stood. He held out his hand again.

“Call me Kylo.”

“My colleague should have your books by now. Kylo.”

A slow smile spread across Kylo’s face as he held Hux’s hand for just a moment too long. He made no effort to disguise the once-over he gave Hux, from his red hair and neatly trimmed beard to his caramel-colored brogues. Whereas the blond graduate student’s appraising looks had done nothing for Hux, he felt a warmth blossom in his stomach as Kylo’s brown eyes traced his form.

“You didn’t tell me your name,” Kylo said when he finally released Hux’s hand.

“Oh, I apologize.” He reached down into the holder on his desk and offered a square business card. “It’s Hux.”

Kylo took the card and examined it. “Armitage Hux, Head of Special Collections and Rare Books. You really are in charge, huh?”

“I am, yes.”

“Well, uh, thanks,” he tucked the card into the back pocket of his jeans. “For the help.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Hux said. “I admit, I have a particular interest in medieval weapons.”

A dark brow lifted. “We should talk about it sometime, then.”

“If you have any questions about the books I pull for you, I’d be happy to field them,” said Hux. “My door is always open.”

“Then you’ll see me again,” Kylo said, the smile returning. “Hux.” Turning on the heel of his red Converse sneaker, he strode out of the office.

A tightness in Hux’s chest released as soon as he was gone. He took a deep breath through his nose. Kylo had left a light, spiced scent in his wake, almost like ginger. It mixed well with Hux’s cologne. Returning to his computer, he began to comb through the list of resources he had identified earlier for those that would have the most detail on the medieval light saber.

 

* * *

 

Tuesday came without much fanfare. Hux saw to his usual duties: retrieving books, doing consultations, scouring the catalog for new resources for patrons. He had a meeting with the conservation staff after which he had gone out to lunch with Phasma, per their routine.

“So, I heard there was some really demanding patron at the desk yesterday,” she said as she picked up a slice of pizza—thin crust with peppers, onions, mushrooms, pepperoni, _and_ sausage. “What was his problem?”

“He wasn’t really a problem,” said Hux, cutting his own pizza into smaller pieces with a knife. “He just needed materials on short notice.”

“I know how you love that,” Phasma said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Yes, well, I was able to get him the basics of what he needed and talk to him about his research.”

“Anything interesting?”

He told her.

“Right up your alley. I know how you love the armory volumes. You going to work with him?”

Though he rarely did so, if Hux had enough interest in a topic one of the patrons was researching, he would look over the texts as well and offer up anything he found that might be relevant to their work. More than one researcher had sent him flowers or a small gift to thank him. One had even mentioned him in the acknowledgements of her journal article.

“I think so,” said Hux. “If he’ll allow it. He seems a bit testy.”

“Typical academic, then,” Phasma said. “He have a ego on him, too?”

“He takes pride in his work.”

“Ego. Check.”

Hux shook his head, taking a bite of pizza. It was delicious. While most universities had substandard campus food, Hosnian had consistently been ranked among the top schools for dining. The pizza kitchen was a new addition to the student center.

“So, what’s he look like?” said Phasma.

“Who?” Hux asked.

“Your light saber patron.”

“His name is Kylo and he’s about six-three with dark hair and eyes. Prominent nose.”

Phasma laughed. “You _would_ notice that. You’re such a sucker for noses.”

Hux lifted his chin. “I do have a particular fondness for a strong nose, yes. Are you implying that there’s something wrong with that?”

“No, of course not. I just know you. Are you helping him with his research out of the goodness of your heart or doing a little research of your own...on him?”

“Phasma, please.”

“What? It’s been a year and a half since you went on a date?”

“There was that one six months ago,” Hux said. “Your doing.”

Phasma had set him up with a guy from her gym. He had been attractive enough, but had had little more to add to conversation than how many deadlifts he had done and what his fantasy football league scores were. Hux had thanked him for the drinks and politely declined to “hang out again sometime.”

“I apologized for that one,” Phasma said. “I’m not going to do it again. And Trent is a decent guy once you get to know him.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” said Hux, sipping his unsweetened iced tea.

Phasma swallowed her most recent bite of pizza and pointed a slightly greasy finger at him. “You’re dodging my question. What’s the deal with Mr. Light Saber?”

“There’s no deal. He’s just a patron with an interesting research question. And a nice nose.”

“You’re killing me, Hux.”

“What do you want me to do? Slip a piece of paper into his manuscript that says, ‘Do you want to go out with me?’”

“As long as the paper’s acid-free, I say go for it,” Phasma said. “It’d make a great story. Love on parchment and vellum.”

Hux rolled his eyes. “Spare me. I know nothing about him save for his name and his thesis topic.”

Phasma shrugged. “Hookups have been built on less.”

“I’m not propositioning a patron for casual sex.”

“Why not? It’s not against the library code of ethics or something.”

“It’s unprofessional,” Hux said.

Phasma leaned in, narrowing her eyes. “Are you afraid he’s going to turn you down? I guess that might make things a little awkward if you had to keep working with him.”

“There’s that. And I have no notion of his sexual orientation.” Though there was the look Kylo had given him in his office. If Hux wasn’t mistaken, he had been admiring him.

“Fair point,” Phasma conceded. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t feel him out in the next couple of days. Didn’t he say he’d be doing research for the next two weeks? Ample time to figure out if he would fancy a trip up into eighth floor stacks with you.”

Hux frowned. The eighth floor of the main research library on campus was an infamous place for undergraduates to meet up for their trysts. Hux had heard all manner of horror stories from the reference and subject librarians of walking in on compromising situations during the evening hours. Fortunately the Vader Library’s special collections were closed promptly at five o’clock and remained locked until the next morning.

“Under no circumstances would I ever have sex in the stacks,” he said.

“Who said you had to go all the way?” said Phasma. “Just let him give you a b—”

Hux raised a hand. “Please don’t finish that sentence.”

She grinned. “What? You wouldn’t do it if you had the opportunity?”

He had his fantasies, of course—one of which involved the reflective plate glass in the reading room—but they were just that; fantasies. He would never have actually considered doing any of them. Though he had the distinct feeling that a certain Mr. Ren might be making an appearance in them that night as Hux took himself in hand before he went to sleep. He could already imagine watching him bury his lovely long nose in the red curls between Hux’s thighs.

“No, I wouldn’t,” he said to Phasma. “I refuse to be caught groping someone like a randy freshman who had to find someplace else to fool around because his roommate is home. I’d be fired.”

“Yeah, you probably would be,” she said. “Well, you don’t have to seduce him on premises. Invite him out for a drink like a civilized person and when the time is right ask him back to your place.”

“Why are talking about this like it’s actually a prospect?” Hux sighed.

“Because it could be. Get to know him a little this week and see where it goes.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Phasma grinned and clapped him on the back hard enough to make his teeth rattle.

 

* * *

 

Hux was doing his shift at the reference desk on Wednesday morning when the door swung open. Kylo Ren, dressed in a plain black t-shirt and jeans, walked in. He was carrying the same leather bag over his shoulder. His hair was pulled up into a small bun at the crown of his head, displaying his somewhat overlarge ears.

“Hey,” he said as he came up to the desk.

“Good morning,” said Hux. “I didn’t expect you until eleven.”

“Yeah, well, I figured since I only have nine hours I’d better get started.” He pulled his laptop out of his bag along with a fairly expensive-looking digital camera.

“You’re free to take all the pictures you want,” Hux said, “but no flash. It will compromise the manuscripts.”

“I know that,” Kylo said, sharp. “I’ve done this before.”

Hux held out his hands out for the bag. “Of course. I’ve pulled five volumes for you. Will that be enough to fill your day?”

“Probably,” said Kylo, giving him the bag. “Will you get more if I need them?”

“I have a number of other things to do today, but my colleagues should be able to see to it.”

“I want you to do it.”

Hux resisted the urge to raise a brow. “The others are perfectly capable.”

“You said you’d help me,” Kylo said. “You. Not them.”

“We’re a team.”

“Still.”

He was a presumptuous one, Hux thought, demanding Hux see to his needs himself. Under normal circumstances Hux would have declined, and part of him was tempted to put Mitaka on it just to spite Kylo, but he was above such pettiness. And he did want to help him. He had already looked through a number of the manuscripts and found the places he believed would be useful. He had actually stayed late the night before to do it.

“If I have the time, I’ll take care of it,” he said.

“Okay,” Kylo said. “Can I go in now?”

Hux gestured to the doors to the reading room. “After you.”

Kylo went to the table in the back he had occupied the day before. Hux had already laid out the manuscripts, though all but one were still in their protective archival boxes.

“I perused this one yesterday,” Hux said of the book he had set in the cradle. “There are a number of passages and illustrations on the light saber near the middle of the volume. They describe the forging process in detail.”

Kylo glanced over at him. “You read the book?”

“Yes. I told you the subject is of interest to me. And I did my graduate work on Middle English.”

“You have a master’s?”

“Two, in fact,” said Hux. He had done them simultaneously, one in library science and the other in medieval languages. He could read archaic English, French, and Italian.

“I didn’t expect that,” Kylo said. “I just thought you were a librarian.”

“Librarians often have secondary specialized degrees. It’s a significant advantage in a competitive field.”

“Being a librarian is competitive?”

Hux felt the usual flash of irritation at the lack of knowledge about his profession. It was especially insulting from the students and faculty he worked with on a regular basis.

“Academic librarianship is, yes,” he said.

“Huh,” said Kylo.

Hux changed the topic to the business at hand. “Would you care to see the pages I was talking about?”

“Yeah.”

Picking up a pair of gloves, Hux opened the book to the place he had marked with the appropriately acid-free paper Phasma had been referring to. There was, however, no request for a date scribbled on it in Hux’s nearly illegible cursive handwriting.

“It starts here,” he said, pointing to a block of script, “and continues onto the next page.”

Kylo sat down, pulled on his own gloves, and looked over the text. “This is good,” he said after a moment.

Hux leaned over his shoulder. “The illustrations are quite intricate.”

“I can see that. The pictures will be perfect for my thesis.”

“We can reproduce them in full color on our scanners if you’d like. It’s five dollars per image, but if you’re looking for the highest quality, that’s it.”

Kylo turned to him, close enough so that Hux could feel his breath on his face. “I don’t have a grant for this like scientists. If I get that done I have to pay out of my own pocket.”

Hux held his gaze, not moving away. “Consider it an investment in your career. You _do_ want to get into Duke or Princeton.”

The corners of Kylo’s mouth turned up. “You have a good memory.”

“Rather like a steel trap,” Hux said, resisting the urge to smile back.

“I’ll take a few of my own pictures and decide if I want something scanned later. Does that work for you, Hux?”

Hux felt a shiver snake down his spine at the rumbled sound of his name. “It does.” He drew back. “I’ll leave you now. I’ll be at the reference desk for the next hour if you require anything.”

“I’ll make sure to let you know.”

Hux turned and left the reading room, taking up his stool at the desk. No one else came in for the next few minutes and he found himself pulling up the library’s databases and searching them for articles on medieval weaponcraft. There were a number on the broadsword and heavy saber, but eventually he turned up something on the lightweight version of the weapon. He imagined that Kylo had already done an exhaustive literature search for articles like this one, but Hux saved the citation into a bibliography manager to reference later. By the time Mitaka came to take over the desk, Hux had put together a number of other articles as well.

“I have meetings for the next couple of hours,” he said. “I will be in my office afterward. If Mr. Ren needs something please refer him to me.”

“Okay, Mr. Hux,” Mitaka said. “I’m glad you’re dealing with him. He kind of...scares me. He’s intense.”

“He’s far from the worst you’ll encounter in this job,” said Hux. “Just wait until the tenured professors show up.”

Mitaka looked stricken.

Hux gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

“Yes, sir.”

The meetings crept by at a glacial pace. Hux fortunately didn’t have to run any of them, but those who did were painfully bad at it. They barely got anything decided, which wasn’t out of the ordinary. Hux breathed a sigh of relief when he got back to the sanctuary of his office. He spent some time going through the email that had piled up since the morning. He sorted it into the hierarchy of folders he had, cleaning out his inbox completely. That was always satisfying.

It was after four in the afternoon when he heard a curt knock on his open door. He looked up to see Kylo leaning against the frame, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

“So, you said you specialized in languages, right?” he asked.

“That’s right,” Hux replied.

Kylo bit his lower lip, drawing Hux’s gaze to his mouth. Hux swallowed.

“Would you be able to look over a couple of passages for me? I can’t really make them out.”

“Certainly.”

“Can you come now?”

Hux got to his feet. “I can.”

“Cool.”

They walked down the stairs to the first floor in silence. The morning patrons in the reading room had already gone, leaving it empty save for Kylo’s table. He had a different manuscript out than he had had earlier, and Hux was relieved to see that he had put the unused ones back in their boxes rather than leaving them out.

Kylo dropped into the chair at the table. Hux made to look over his shoulder again, but Kylo said, “Sit. This might take a minute.”

Hux brought a chair from the neighboring table. Kylo slid over to sit in front of his laptop, leaving the space in front of the manuscript for Hux.

“Where do you want me to begin?” Hux asked.

“The third passage down,” Kylo replied. “The one that starts with the steel folding process. Do you see it?”

“Yes.” Hux leaned over the book. Taking a breath he began to read. Kylo’s fingers flew across the keyboard to keep up with the narration.

When Hux paused before beginning the next section, Kylo said, “You really are good at this.”

Hux shot him a look. “You didn’t believe me?”

“I had my doubts.”

“That’s rather rude.”

Kylo laughed. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

“That’s your apology?” Hux said.

“Sorry.”

Hux gave a curt nod. “Thank you. Shall I continue?”

“Yeah.”

He translated the Middle English for the next hour until Mitaka flipped the “open” sign at the main entrance to “closed.”

“I’m afraid we’re going to have to stop for today,” he said.

“Damn,” said Kylo. “I was hoping to finish with this book today.”

Before he could think to stop himself, Hux said, “My schedule is free tomorrow morning. I can help you finish the transcription.”

Kylo blinked at him. “You’d do that?”

“I did tell you I would help you.”

“Yeah, you did.”

Hux offered a closed-lipped smile. “Tomorrow at eight, then?”

“Sure we can’t do eleven?” Kylo said.

“I have my first meeting at eleven. And then a few consultations to do in the afternoon. It’s first thing in the morning or nothing.”

“Fine,” Kylo said.

“Excellent,” said Hux. “Do you need me to see you out?”

“I think I can find my way.”

“Very well. Have a good evening, Mr. Ren.”

“It’s Kylo.”

“Right.”

He lifted a brow. “So…”

“Goodnight, Kylo.”

“Night, Hux.”

 

* * *

 

They fell into a kind of routine over the next few days. Kylo would appear at eight in the morning, usually the first patron in the reading room. Hux would have the necessary manuscripts laid out for him. They would sit side-by-side and Hux would read him the passages that he had trouble with. Occasionally Kylo would stop to take pictures of the pages.

As the reading room filled up, though, they would have to stop so as not to disturb the other patrons. Hux would return to his office then or go to his meetings. He found that he was spending less and less time answering emails and more reading the articles he had found. There were careful analyses and insightful observations, but none of them covered the exact topic Kylo was writing about. It seemed his paper would indeed chart new territory in the field. Hux was excited to be involved, even if only a supporting capacity.

The library was closed Saturday and Sunday, so Hux wished Kylo a good weekend as he walked with him to the door on Friday evening.

“You have any plans?” Kylo asked him, shouldering his bag.

Hux tensed, feeling a small thrill. He considered for a moment that Kylo was going to ask him to do something with him. But he wasn’t certain he could or _would_ accept if such an offer was made. “I intended to catch up on some reading.” He didn’t mention that he planned to read more articles. “And you?”

“I’ve got these photos to process and notes to make for the paper,” Kylo said. “And I’m working both days.”

“What type of work do you do?” Hux asked, hoping that wasn’t too intrusive a question.

“I tend bar at Coruscant. Four nights a week and days on Tuesdays and the weekend.”

Coruscant was one of the upscale restaurants in town, known for its tapas and cocktails. Hux had been there once or twice with dates that didn’t pan out. He had never bothered to look at the bartender, however.

“Do you enjoy it?” he said.

Kylo shrugged. “It’s a living. The tips are pretty good.”

“It’s nice. I’ve enjoyed it every time I’ve been there.”

“Yeah? You should come in. I’ll mix you something good.”

There was the offer, offhanded as it was. “I might find the time,” Hux said, noncommittal.

“You do that,” Kylo said. “Later, Hux.” He walked off across the quad. Hux tried not to watch him until he disappeared around the corner of the chemistry building.

Over the course of the weekend, Hux did his grocery shopping and cooking for the coming week. He made risotto and baked chicken to put on brioche for sandwiches. He read and even watched a film on Netflix as he sipped a glass of red wine.

He kept an eye on the clock on Saturday night, debating going out to Coruscant. He didn’t want to show up alone, though. That would be a clear indication that he was there to see Kylo. He thought about calling Phasma to go with him, but aside from their weekly lunches they had never spent time with each other outside of work. Hux was disappointed to realize that he didn’t have many other friends. Most of them had moved away after library school, and even then there hadn’t been a large number of them.

He ended up staying in, curled up on his sofa with tea, a novel, and Millicent, his ginger cat. He told himself the next day that he didn’t regret it.

“Good morning,” he said to Mitaka on Monday as he passed the desk.

“Good morning, Mr. Hux.”

“Are there many email questions from over the weekend?”

The library had an email question system to address any patron requests. There were usually a number of messages after two days off.

“Five,” Mitaka said. “I’ve already gotten to two of them.”

“How long have you been here?” Hux asked.

“Since seven.”

“Whatever for?”

Mitaka looked down. “I just wanted to get ahead for the week.”

“That’s admirable,” said Hux, “but we don’t pay overtime. Take a long lunch hour today or go home early.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hux nodded. “Will you please let me know when Mr. Ren gets here?”

“Of course. Should I send him up to your office?”

“No. Call me and I’ll come down.”

“Sounds good, sir.”

Hux expected the call fairly soon after he got to his computer, but it didn’t come. Several hours and a couple of meetings passed. When Hux walked past the reading room at noon, Kylo was nowhere to be found. Hux knew it wasn’t any of his business how Kylo kept his schedule, but a part of him was disappointed. He had grown used to seeing him every day.

At four-thirty in the afternoon Hux’s phone rang.

“Hello, this is Hux,” he said into the receiver.

“Mitaka, sir. Mr. Ren is here.”

“I’ll be right there.”

When he entered the reading room, Kylo was standing next to his usual table. For once he wasn’t wearing black. He was in a red button-down shirt that was hanging open. He wore a white t-shirt underneath it.

“Hey,” he said, chewing at his thumbnail.

“Hello,” said Hux.

“I, uh...I’m sorry...that I didn’t show up before. I had to work until six in the morning last night. There was a thing. I had to get some sleep.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Hux said. “I have more than enough to do.”

“Sure,” Kylo said. “Of course.”

They looked at each other in silence for a moment. Then Hux spoke. “I’m afraid it’s rather late, but we can get through at least part of a passage if you’d like.”

“Yeah, that’d be good.”

Hux took up his chair before the manuscript in its cradle. He put on his gloves and lightly traced the familiar script. Kylo booted up his laptop.

“Where did we leave off?” Hux asked.

“I thought your memory was like a steel trap,” said Kylo.

Hux huffed a laugh. “Was it the fifth paragraph down?”

“It was.”

Satisfied, Hux began to read. They were only halfway through by five o’clock. Mitaka had left at four, as Hux had told him to, leaving only Hux and Kylo in the reading room.

“Do we have to go?” Kylo said.

Hux knew they should, but he replied, “Let’s finish this. It shouldn’t take that much longer.”

Six o’clock came and went, as did seven. There were no windows in this part of the library in order to protect the materials, but Hux assumed it had grown dark outside. As he finished a passage, he leaned back in his chair and rolled his neck. The vertebrae popped and snapped.

“That sounded like it hurt,” said Kylo.

“It felt divine actually,” Hux said.

“I’ll take your word for it.” He rubbed at his eyes. “I can’t see straight. I think I need to sleep more.”

“Will you have time before you work tomorrow?”

“Yeah. If I get home soon, I’ll just pass out and sleep until eleven. The restaurant doesn’t open until noon. No Sunday morning mimosas to serve, thank god.”

Hux smiled. “I haven’t had a mimosa in years.”

“Do you like them?” Kylo asked. “I don’t.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t like orange juice.”

“Ah, I see,” said Hux. “What do you usually drink, then?”

“Scotch. Old Scotch. You? No wait. Let me guess. I’m good at that.” He rubbed his chin. “Old fashioned.”

Hux’s brows went up. “Very good.”

Kylo grinned. “When you tend bar for as long as I have, it’s pretty easy to figure people out.”

“You can’t have been doing it that long. You can’t be more than twenty-three.”

“Twenty-two. But I got the job as soon as I turned twenty-one.”

“A year isn’t that long.”

“It’s long enough,” Kylo said.

Hux made a soft sound of acknowledgement. He leaned down to look at the manuscript a last time. Kylo did as well.

“It’s really beautiful,” he said. “No modern books are like it.”

“Yes,” said Hux. “These are remarkable artifacts. It’s an honor to work with them.”

Kylo looked over at him. “You really love this, don’t you?”

“I do.” He touched the page almost reverently.

“Hux.”

He turned as warm fingers brushed his cheek, and then Kylo was kissing him. Hux’s eyes widened in surprise. Kylo’s were closed. He cupped Hux’s jaw as his lips moved over Hux’s in gentle, almost tentative presses. At first Hux just let him, keeping still, but as the tip of Kylo’s tongue touched Hux’s lower lip he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. Kylo made a sound in his throat and leaned in, his tongue slick and warm against Hux’s.

Hux reached out and curled his hand around the back of Kylo’s neck, rubbing lightly with his thumb. Kylo set his palm on Hux’s knee. Desire curled in tight spirals in Hux’s stomach, spurring him on. He licked into Kylo’s mouth, exploratory and bold. It seemed like forever since he had kissed someone, really kissed them. And it was good, very good.

When Kylo finally drew back, he kept his eyes on Hux. “I thought about doing that all weekend.”

“You did?” Hux asked, a little breathless.

“God, yes. All week, too. Ever since I saw you.” The pad of his thumb rasped against Hux’s beard.

“Oh.”

“And when you read. Your voice. I could listen to you all day.”

Hux felt his face burning. “I enjoy reading to you,” he said lamely.

“Yeah?” Kylo said. “That’s good. It’s sexy as hell.” He moved in toward Hux. “I’m going to kiss you again.”

“All right,” Hux said against his lips.

There was nothing hesitant about  this kiss. Kylo delved in immediately, tasting Hux as if he were something delicious to be devoured. His hand slid up Hux’s thigh to the crease in his trousers, where Hux’s hardening cock pressed against the fly. He gasped, breaking the kiss, as Kylo palmed him through the fabric.

“We need to leave,” Kylo said, low and growled. “Unless you want me to go down on you here.”

Hux gaped at him, but managed to say, “My office.”

Kylo was on his feet in a second, grabbing Hux’s hand and pulling him toward the back door. Hux went up the stairs in a daze, his head muddled with a mix of confusion and want. This was far faster than he had ever gone with anyone. He wasn’t one for casual encounters. He preferred to get to know his partners well before he ever let them touch him. But the thought of Kylo’s plush lips around him had him burning.

The door was locked when they arrived. Hux fumbled with his keys while Kylo stood behind him pressing open-mouthed kisses to his neck and rubbing at his groin. Hux was shaking by the time he turned the lock and nearly stumbled into the room. Kylo closed the door firmly behind them. He backed Hux up to the edge of his desk, already going for his belt. As the buckle clattered open, he flicked the button of Hux’s pants undone deftly and lowered the zipper. Hux groaned as Kylo slid his hand below the waistband.

“I knew you’d have a nice cock,” Kylo said, caressing Hux through his underwear. “I’ve been imagining this. Did you ever think about it?”

Hux nodded mutely.

Kylo nuzzled the join of his shoulder and neck. “Fuck, that’s hot. Did you get off to it?”

“Yes,” Hux croaked.

“Me, too.”

Hux gripped the edge of his desk to steady himself as Kylo pushed his pants down. His boxer briefs followed.

“Red all over,” Kylo said as he ran his fingertips over the neatly trimmed hair around Hux’s cock. “Perfect.”

Hux bit his lip to keep from making a sound as Kylo wrapped his hand around him and gave him a few slow strokes.

“Tell me what you want,” Kylo said.

“I—” Hux started, though the words caught in his throat. He had never found dirty talk appealing before and was actually a bit embarrassed to do it. “I want your mouth.”

“Yeah.” Kylo kissed him hard once, but then drew back and dropped to his knees. He took a firm hold of Hux’s buttocks, looking up at him with dark eyes as he took Hux’s cock between his lips, the tender underside against the flat of his tongue.

“Jesus,” Hux cursed.

Kylo gave him a wet suck, hollowing out his cheeks. Hux pinched his eyes shut, though a moment later he was looking back at Kylo as he swallowed Hux down. He was good at it, taking Hux deep with each bob of his head. Reaching up, he took Hux by the wrist and guided his hand to the back of his head. Hux curled his fingers into Kylo’s hair. Kylo hummed when Hux pulled lightly.

“Oh, god,” Hux said. “More.”

Kylo sped his pace, bringing his hand up to join his mouth. He squeezed Hux tightly, giving him the right pressure. Hux was breathing hard, pushing Kylo down onto him.

“I’m going to come,” he said as he approached the precipice. “You don’t have to—”

Kylo answered with another long pull and a swirl of his tongue. Hux cried out and spilled himself into Kylo’s mouth. Kylo worked him through the orgasm until Hux tugged at his hair to pull him away.

Kylo’s lips were shining with saliva as he looked back up at Hux. “You taste good.”

Hux shook his head. “No one really tastes good.”

“You do.”

“Sit down,” Hux said as he bent down to pull his pants up. He tucked himself back inside and fastened his belt. Kylo went to the chair in front of the desk, though before he sat he undid his fly and slid his pants down. He wore nothing beneath them. Hux’s brows rose. He was bigger than Hux was, and Hux wasn’t certain he’d be able to take all of him. But he wanted to make Kylo feel what he just had.

Kylo sank down into the chair, taking himself in hand and stroking up and down slowly. He filled out even more.

Hux knelt at his feet. “How do you like it?”

“Doesn’t matter as long as you’re doing it,” Kylo said. He traced Hux’s cheekbone. “You’re so gorgeous.”

Hux blinked up at him, flattered, then he replaced Kylo’s hand with his own, bent his head, and went to work. Kylo made noises of pleasure throughout, little groans and gasps. When Hux elicited one, he noted it and kept doing whatever he had been. Soon enough, Kylo was lifting his hips in shallow thrusts, pushing himself into Hux’s mouth. He went far enough once to make Hux gag.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine,” Hux said, his voice ragged from taking Kylo’s cock. “Are you close?”

“Yeah. Just a little more.”

Hux took him back into his mouth, moving his hand as well.

“Fuck, Hux. That’s it. You’re going to make me come.” He dug his fingers into his thighs and swore, filling Hux’s mouth with a briny taste. Hux swallowed all he gave him.

“God, that was amazing,” Kylo panted, petting Hux’s disordered hair. “You’re amazing. Come here.”

Hux rose to kiss him. It was heated and lingering.

Kylo dressed again and stood. “I guess I should go, huh? Unless I can convince you to come home with me for another round.”

“Ah, no,” said Hux. “Not tonight.”

Kylo slipped an arm around his waist. “But later? I want you in my bed.”

Hux wet his lips. He wanted that, too, just not quite yet. “Later.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Kylo said, smiling. “Walk out with me?”

Hux nodded. “Just let me collect my things.”

They stopped at the reference desk to pick up Kylo’s sweater and bag. He tucked his laptop away. Hux locked up and they went out of the library into the chilly evening air.

“I’m going this way,” Kylo said, hitching a thumb toward the opposite side of campus from the parking lot Hux’s car was in.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow?” Hux asked.

“I have to work tomorrow,” Kylo replied. “But I’ll be back on Wednesday.”

“All right.” Hux turned to go.

“Wait.” Kylo reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Can I have your number?”

Hux rattled it off.

“Okay. See you later, Hux.”

“Goodnight, Kylo.”

Hux was halfway to the parking lot when his phone buzzed. The banner on the lock screen showed a text from an unknown number. It read: “Night, gorgeous.” Hux grinned all the way home.


	2. Chapter 2

## Chapter Two

“Something’s off about you today,” Phasma said as she sat across from Hux at the campus pizza kitchen the next day. “Or on. I don’t know how to put it. But something’s different.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” said Hux, picking up a slice of his pizza and biting into it.

“You’re eating with your hands. You never eat with your hands. And you got sweet tea.”

“I like sweet things occasionally,” he said with a shrug.

“The sweetest thing I’ve ever seen you eat is eighty percent cocoa dark chocolate,” she said, “which isn’t really sweet at all. What’s going on, Hux?”

“Nothing. Really.” A buzz in his pocket had him wiping his greasy fingers on a paper napkin before pulling out his phone. His thumb still left a mark as he typed in his passcode and opened the text.

_Hey, gorgeous. I can’t get you out of my head. I’ve been thinking about you all day. About your cock in my mouth._

Hux pressed his lips together to keep his jaw from falling open. He could feel the heat in his face already.

“What the hell?” Phasma said. “Are you blushing?”

“Certainly not.”

“You are. And checking your phone in the middle of lunch. You’re always on about how rude that is.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, tucking the phone away. “It _is_ rude.”

“You know I don’t care. Especially if I get the chance to see you blush like a schoolboy at some text.” She leaned in. “Are you seeing someone?”

“No.” He chewed his cheek. “Well, I don’t really know.”

Phasma’s brows rose. “You don’t know? How can you not know?”

“We didn’t really go out in the traditional sense. And nothing’s been said about anything formal.”

“Are you telling me you hooked up with someone  _casually_?”

Hux took a drink of his tea. It really was too sweet. “Yes,” he sighed.

“Oh my god,” said Phasma. “Who are you and what have you done with Armitage Hux?”

“It’s not _that_ unbelievable.”

“For someone who puts their dates through a thorough vetting process before even agreeing to get dinner, it is. Who is it?”

“No one you know,” said Hux.

“So no one from the library.”

“Dating at work is a terrible idea. I would never.”

“You never go out to bars unless I drag you, so you definitely didn’t meet anyone out. So it has to be someone from around work.” Phasma narrowed her eyes. “Oh, yes. I know. It’s Mr. Light Saber, isn’t it?”

Hux swallowed, unable to deny it. “I told you his name is Kylo.”

“Holy shit. You actually did it. Did you leave him a note?”

“Of course not,” he said. “It just...happened.”

“Casual sex doesn’t just ‘happen,’ Hux. Who made the first move?”

“I’m not giving you the gritty details.”

Phasma smirked. “‘Gritty?’ I like where this is going.”

Hux gave her a look. “Good god, Phasma. If you must know, it was him. He kissed me in the reading room.”

“You mean there’s security footage of this escapade?”

Hux’s stomach clenched. He had completely forgotten about the twenty-four hour camera feed. There _was_ documentary evidence of him and Kylo in each other’s arms, so to speak. He hid his face in his hands. “Oh, Christ. It was after hours, too. I’m going to get sacked.”

“Don’t panic yet,” said Phasma. “Exactly how far did it go?”

“Only a kiss or two,” Hux said. “We took the rest up to my office.”

“I’m going to have to congratulate you on that. Well played.”

“Not if the head of the libraries reviews the security footage and finds me snogging a patron several hours after the reading room is supposed to be closed. And then both of us going very quickly up the stairs together. One can extrapolate what happened next.”

“Do tell.”

“ _No_.”

She pouted. “Fine. And Snoke doesn’t look at the footage himself unless something goes missing. Someone from the security company will see it, that’s all.”

“Not reassuring.”

“Look,” she said, picking up her bottle of sparkling water, “I’m sure worse things have happened before. You’d probably get a slap on the wrist for letting him stay after hours more than anything. I really doubt anyone would care that you’re shagging him.”

“I am  _not_ ,” Hux said, affronted.

“So, you didn’t go all the way. Are you going to?”

Hux pushed his half-finished pizza away. “I am very fond of you, Phasma, but I draw the line at sharing the goings-on in my bedroom.”

“He’s been in your bedroom?”

“ _Phasma._ ”

She put her hands up. “Okay, okay, I get it. But you’d better believe the next time he’s in the reading room, I’m coming out to have a look at him.”

“You are not allowed to interrogate him,” said Hux.

“I’ll be gentle,” she said. “I just want to see who’s got you all flustered. The unflappable Hux finally losing his calm.”

Hux knew he was still flushed, and his phone was all but burning a hole in his pocket. He wanted to text Kylo back, though he didn’t have the first idea what he would send. He was not about to confess that he had been thinking about the same thing Kylo had—Kylo’s dark head between his legs, Kylo’s long hair soft against his palm, Kylo’s lips and tongue—all morning.

As soon as he had walked into his office promptly at eight o’clock, his eyes had been on the chair where Kylo had been sprawled as Hux knelt before him. His cock had twitched in his trousers as the memories flooded back. He wasn’t entirely certain how he was ever going to concentrate in that room again.

“I’m perfectly calm, I assure you,” he said to Phasma.

“Right,” she said, wry. “Because you always react to your texts like that. Are you going to reply or just leave him in suspense?”

“We’re in the middle of eating. That’s—”

“Rude. Yes, I know. But as far as I can tell, you’re not eating any more and…” She gestured down at her empty plate. “Neither am I. So, text him back.”

Hux debated the matter for a moment, considering brushing her off, but instead he pulled out his phone and looked down at it. “I don’t know what to say.”

Phasma rested her chin in her hand. “Well, what did he say?”

“He’s been thinking of me.”

“Well, have you been thinking of him?”

“Yes,” Hux said. “Quite a bit.”

“Oh, this is too good,” Phasma said, smiling. “You should tell him that, then. Let him know the feeling is mutual.”

Hux unlocked the phone and brought up the texts. He stared at the box for his reply. “I don’t just want to say, ‘Me, too.’ It needs to be something more than that...don’t you think?”

“You could tell him _what_ you’ve been thinking.” She gave him a lascivious wink. “After all, I assume you didn’t bring him up to your office for a research consultation.”

“Ah, no,” Hux muttered. “But I don’t want to be crude.”

Kylo had been, but somehow it sounded right coming from him. Hux thought his own attempts at suggestive text correspondence would be met with ridicule.

“I’m not saying sext him,” said Phasma, “but tell him you had a good time last night, that you might like to do it again. You would like to do it again, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then say that.”

Hux tapped his phone screen to keep it from going dark. His thumb hovered over the keyboard before he started to type.

_You’ve been on my mind as well. Last night was…_ He hesitated, looking for the words. _...exceptional. I hope you’re doing all right this afternoon_. He let Kylo’s last comment go unanswered. Biting his lip, he pressed send.

“There,” said Phasma. “That wasn’t so hard. What did you write?”

Hux bit back his embarrassment and told her.

“‘Exceptional,’” she said. “A little formal, but it’ll do.”

Hux tried not to regret the phrasing. “Shall we take our dishes up, then?”

“Oh, no,” Phasma said, sitting back in her chair. “Now we wait. We’ve still got fifteen minutes of lunch hour left.”

“He’s likely busy working,” Hux said, glancing at the clock. It was a quarter to one and Kylo had said his shift at the bar started at noon. “I doubt he’ll reply right away.”

His phone buzzed on the table.

Phasma laughed. “So much for that theory.”

Hux picked it up. Kylo’s text read: _I’m good. A little tired still, but good. I couldn’t sleep right away when I got home last night._

Hux could assume Kylo had been as distracted by what had happened as Hux had. But he asked anyway: _Oh? Why not?_

_Something exceptional kept me up._

Hux smiled. Phasma eyed him as he responded.

_I’m glad you enjoyed yourself._

_That’s putting it mildly,_ Kylo wrote. _I want to see you again._

_You will_ , said Hux. _I’ll be in the library tomorrow when you’re here_.

“What’s he saying?” Phasma asked.

“He wants to see me again.”

“Obviously, or he wouldn’t be texting you.”

The phone buzzed again. Kylo said: _I want to see a little more of you than is really appropriate for the reading room. As much as I saw last night_. _More if you’ll let me._

Hux took a drink of tea, glad for its coolness. _I’d like that, too._

_You’re making my day, gorgeous_ , Kylo replied.

“Oh, that’s a nice smile,” said Phasma. “You really like this guy, don’t you?”

“I hardly know him,” Hux said.

“How old is he?”

“Twenty-two.”

Phasma smirked. “You’re robbing the cradle a bit on that one. What are you now? Thirty-three?”

“Thirty-four,” Hux said, looking down at the table.

“It’s not like it makes a difference,” she said. “You’re both consenting adults.”

Hux’s phone lit up with another text.

_You should come out for a drink tonight_ , Kylo wrote. _I’m here until close. I’ll make you the best Old Fashioned you’ve ever had._

Hux felt a touch of nervous excitement. “He wants me to come see him at work. At Coruscant.”

“He’s a waiter?”

“Bartender.”

Phasma nodded. “You going to do it?”

“Do you think I should?” Hux asked. “It’s not too forward?”

“I don’t think you have to worry about being forward if you’ve already done whatever it was you did with him in your office yesterday.”

“Right,” Hux said.

“I say go for it. It’s just a drink, Hux.”

Picking up his phone again, he replied with, _Does 5:30 work? I imagine the dinner hour is rather busy._

_It is, but I’ll make time._

_All right. I will see you then._

_Hell yes, you will_.

“It’s time to head back,” Phasma said. “You want to get a box for the rest of your pizza?”

Hux did. He would probably finish it later in the day when his appetite returned. For now he was too wound up to consider eating any more.

They discussed the manuscript Phasma was working on as they walked back to the library. Hux thought about the book he had pulled for Kylo to use the next day. It had some particularly complex passages that Hux knew he would have to translate for him. He tapped his fingers against the phone in his pocket, pleased.

The rest of the day dragged despite the significant amount of work Hux had to do. He kept looking at the clock on his desk, watching the hours tick by. By four o’clock, he was jittery enough that he had to get up and take a walk. He wandered down to the main library, intending to visit with the librarian on reference desk duty there. It turned out to be Thanisson, the European history subject specialist.

“Hey, Hux,” he said. “How’re things over in special collections?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Hux replied. “Is it busy down here?”

Thanisson shrugged. “Not really. When midterms start next week, though, it’s going to be crazy.”

“Understandably.” Hux set his hands on the desk. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“I have a patron who is writing his thesis on the medieval light saber. I have the primary sources and I’ve spent some time looking for other secondary articles, but I thought you might be able to find some others.”

“Sure thing,” said Thanisson. “Can you send me the bibliography you already have?”

Hux nodded. “I appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. I’ll have something for you by tomorrow.”

Leaving him, but not yet ready to go back to his desk Hux found himself making his way to the back staircase. He walked all the way up to the eighth floor where the S-X sections were housed. It was a quiet study floor and there were a few students at the desks, but they were few and far between. Hux passed them and went into the stacks. He browsed the titles a little, running his fingers along the spines of the books. At the end of a shelf, he paused and looked at the dark corner beyond.

Unbidden, the idea of being pressed into it, Kylo’s broad body covering his, came into his mind. He’d slip his hands up under whatever plain t-shirt Kylo was wearing, feeling his warm skin. Kylo would touch Hux’s face and muss his hair. They would try to set themselves to rights before they left, but anyone who looked at them closely enough would see the evidence of what they had been doing: Kylo’s red, bitten lips, Hux’s fading flush. That image stirred him more than he would have expected.

He couldn’t remember a time when he had been so viscerally attracted to someone. He had had a number of relationships over the course of his twenties, but they had started as intellectual connections that had eventually led to one of their respective beds. It wasn’t that he and Kylo didn’t share an academic interest, but usually weeks or even months passed before Hux was intimate with his partners. Then again, none of them had been as eager and forthright as Kylo was. Hux thought he would have been put off by that, but instead it drew him in, making him crave more.

Glancing down at his watch, Hux saw that it was approaching four-fifty. He had just enough time to retrieve his jacket and laptop bag and walk to the parking lot. It would take about fifteen minutes to get downtown and five to find parking. That would put him at Coruscant at exactly five-thirty. Hux hoped Kylo appreciated punctuality.

“Have a good night, Mr. Hux,” Mitaka said as Hux walked past him on the way out the door. Hux gave him a brief wave.

There was a pay-by-the-hour public parking lot about a block from Coruscant. Hux deliberated for a moment at the machine before selecting and hour and a half. He didn’t know how long Kylo would have to spend with him, and he also didn’t want to stay too long. Millie would be expecting her dinner.

He paused by his car’s window to adjust the fall of his jacket and make sure his hair was in place. Satisfied that he looked as good as he could in his usual work clothes, he set off down the sidewalk.

“Good evening, sir,” said the hostess inside the door of Coruscant. She was a pretty girl who looked to be about twenty. She wore fitted black pants and a red dress shirt and black tie. “Are you meeting someone?”

“Um, no,” he said. “I’m just here for a drink. May I sit at the bar?”

“Absolutely. It’s straight through in the back. They serve food if you’re hungry.”

He thanked her and wove through a few tables until the bar came into sight. Kylo was impossible to miss. He was dressed similarly to the hostess in red and black, though he had a vest on in addition to his tie. His hair was pulled back into a bun. He poured a drink out of the metal cocktail shaker he was holding and slid it across the bar to a blond woman who smiled broadly at him. He gave her a smile in return, though he quickly turned away to swipe her credit card. He was handing it back to her when he saw Hux. _That_ smile was wide and toothy.

“Hey,” he said as Hux found an empty stool near the end of the bar.

“Hello.”

“You came.”

Hux set his elbows on the varnished wood in front of him. “You thought I wouldn’t?”

“Maybe a little,” Kylo said. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

“I couldn’t resist the allure of ‘the best Old Fashioned I’ve ever had,’” said Hux.

Kylo laughed. “Let me get that for you.”

He mixed the drink with practiced efficiency and, dropping a maraschino cherry into it, handed it to Hux. Hux took a sip and nodded.

“Good?” Kylo asked.

“Very,” Hux replied. “Thank you.”

“I’ve got a break coming up in a couple minutes. Want to step outside with me?”

“All right.”

Hux nursed his drink and watched Kylo work. After a few minutes a young woman with her brown hair in an unusual style—three buns at the back of her head—appeared. She clapped Kylo on the back and said, “See you in fifteen.”

“Thanks, Rey,” he said. He disappeared around the far end of the bar.

A few moments later, Hux felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Come on,” Kylo said.

Hux followed him through a back door, finding himself in the kitchen. “Am I allowed in here?” he said.

Kylo’s fingers curled around his. “It’s just for a second.”

It was cooler outside as they arrived on the loading dock. Kylo led the way to the railing a few paces from the door. He leaned on it and sighed.

“Have you had a long day?” Hux asked, stepping up beside him.

“I just don’t like waiting,” Kylo replied. Raising Hux’s hand, he kissed the knuckles. “I’ve wanted to see you.”

“Oh.”

Kylo rubbed his thumb against Hux’s forefinger. “How was _your_ day?”

“Fine,” said Hux, his pulse thrumming at even the light contact between them. “I asked our history librarian to look into some more articles for your research.”

“Yeah? Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Do you do this for everybody?”

Hux shook his head.

“So, I’m special,” Kylo said.

“Yes,” said Hux.

“I’m not going to lie. I really like that.”

Hux gave him a small smile.

Kylo lifted his free hand to Hux’s cheek. “You have such a great smile. A great mouth. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Mind if I kiss you?”

Hux looked back at the kitchen door. “Will you get in trouble?”

“I don’t know,” Kylo said, “but I’m willing to take the chance.”

At Hux’s nod, he leaned in and pressed their lips together. Kylo’s were slightly chapped, but soft under Hux’s. Kylo slid his hand down to Hux’s neck, touching the space behind his ear with the pad of his thumb. Before Hux knew it, the buttons of his jacket were undone and Kylo’s arm was around his waist, pulling Hux against him.

“Mm, you taste like whiskey,” Kylo said, “but sweet, too.”

“Is that all right?” Hux asked.

“Oh, yeah. I could do this all night.” He rubbed Hux’s lower back. “I wish we could get out of here. I can’t do half of what I want to do to you.”

Feeling bold, Hux said, “And what is that?”

Kylo’s eyes flashed. “I want to get you in my lap, grab your ass and hold you to me.” He bent his head to kiss Hux’s neck. “I want to suck you off again. Maybe get a finger or two inside you.”

Hux swallowed heavily, drawing deep breaths in through his nose.

“Would you let me?” Kylo said. “Let me touch you like that? Say yes. I want it so bad.”

“Yes.”

Kylo rubbed his nose into the wiry hair of Hux’s beard. “Oh, fuck. I’d do it right now if I could. I’d make it so good for you.”

“God, Kylo,” Hux said, grasping at his waist.

“Say my name again.”

“Kylo.”

“Have I told you how sexy your voice is?”

“You have,” Hux said, his lips brushing Kylo’s.

“It got me right away,” Kylo said. “The minute you told me I had to make an appointment for a consultation I knew I wanted hear it while I had your cock in my mouth. I wanted to hear all the sounds you would make for me.” He gave Hux a lingering kiss. “When did you know you wanted me?”

“I admired you while you were reading. You’re very dedicated.”

Kylo huffed a laugh. “Research turns you on, huh? So, have you done this with some of your other patrons?”

“Certainly not,” said Hux. “It’s not exactly professional.”

“No, I guess it isn’t. If I hadn’t started it, would you have?”

Hux trailed a hand up to Kylo’s chest. “Probably not. I’m not particularly forward.”

“I noticed that,” said Kylo. “I couldn’t really read you at first, but after the weekend I just decided to go for it. Maybe you would have slapped me, but at least I would have gotten to taste you once.”

“I wouldn’t have slapped you.”

“Yeah, I’m really glad you didn’t.” He touched Hux’s jaw. “Glad you’re here, too. This is the best break I’ve ever taken.”

Hux smiled.

Kylo returned it, spinning Hux until he stood against the cool metal railing. “I’ve only got a few more minutes, and I plan to make the best of it. Give me something to think about tonight while I’m missing you, gorgeous.”

They held each other for an indeterminate time, Hux’s mind blank and focused on the press of Kylo’s mouth, the heat of his body against him. He hardly heard the footsteps from the kitchen door.

“Hey, Kylo. Your break’s ov—oh shit. I’m sorry.”

Hux froze, recognizing the voice as the girl Rey’s. He and Kylo looked over at her at the same time.

“I’ll just cover a couple more minutes, then,” she said, backing away.

“I’ll be right there,” Kylo said.

“Take your time.” Hux could hear the amusement in her tone.

“I should go,” he said, pushing Kylo back. He couldn’t leave immediately, though, unless he wanted half the restaurant to see how aroused he was. A glance down at Kylo revealed the same problem. He adjusted himself carefully, though it did little to help.

“I guess this is goodnight, then,” Kylo said. “Unless you feel like coming back at two when I finish up.”

“I can’t,” Hux said. “I have an eight o’clock meeting tomorrow.”

Kylo frowned. “So, you won’t be around to work with me?”

“Not until the afternoon.”

“Okay.”

Hux lay a hand on his chest. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Damn right, you will,” Kylo said.

“I think I’ll go around the side. I don’t think I should walk through the kitchen again.”

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea.”

Hux asked, “That girl isn’t going to tell your boss about us, is she?”

“Rey?” said Kylo. “Nah, she’s cool.”

“All right.” He took a step toward the concrete staircase that led down to the alley at the side of the building. Kylo caught his arm.

“One more thing,” he said. He spun Hux to him and kissed him a last time. “Now you can leave.”

Hux gave a light laugh. “Goodnight, Kylo.”

“Goodnight, Hux.”

 

* * *

 

When Hux finally escaped his block of morning meetings on Wednesday, he made a show of not rushing down to the reading room. He went steadily down the back stairs, standing straight as he went through the door. He found Kylo at his usual table, bent over a manuscript with his white-gloved hands resting on the cradle. Hux approached him slowly, not wanting to disturb him. However, even on the carpet it wasn’t hard to hear his footsteps. Kylo turned and grinned.

“There you are,” he said.

“Are you making progress?” Hux asked, leaning over to see the book Kylo had been reading.

“Some, but it’s slow. I’d do better with you here.”

Hux looked around at the four other patrons in the room. “I’m afraid we can’t right now.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kylo said. “Will you sit for a minute, though?”

“Sure. I have a few minutes.” He took the chair and rolled it in close to the table. “Is this manuscript useful?”

“From what I can read, it’s perfect. Thanks for finding it.”

Hux almost jumped as he felt two fingers run up the length of his forearm, from his wrist to the crook of his elbow. Kylo drew a circle on the soft skin there.

“You’re going to need a new glove,” Hux said, quiet. “The oils on my skin…”

Kylo continued to touch him. “Will you get me one? Or should I come up to your office and get it?”

“I don’t keep them in my office.”

“Then do you want to show me that bibliography you were talking about yesterday? The one the history librarian put together?”

Hux actually hadn’t spoken to Thanisson about it. Normally he would send an email, but considering that Kylo was with him, he said, “We can go see him if you like.”

“Yeah, okay.” Kylo pulled his gloves off and went to set them down on the table. Hux snatched them up and deposited them in the soiled linens bin on their way out.

Thanisson’s office was on the second floor of the main library, but as they arrived at the landing, Hux hesitated.

Kylo raised a brow. “You do know how to get there, right?”

“Come with me,” Hux said, taking him by the hand and pulling him up the stairs.

The eighth floor was thankfully deserted as Hux led them along. He made for the corner he had discovered the day before.

“What are we—” Kylo started, but before he could finish, Hux pushed him against the nearest shelf and kissed him. Kylo’s mouth went soft and pliant immediately, lips parting for Hux’s tongue. He made a deep sound of approval.

“You have to be quiet,” Hux said, pulling back enough to meet his eyes.

“Did you just shush me?” Kylo asked, though it was appropriately whispered.

Hux gave him a hard look.

“Okay, I’ll be perfectly silent.”

“You’re still talking.”

Kylo took Hux’s face between his hands. “You know how to shut me up.”

Hux crossed the distance between them and delved back into Kylo’s mouth. They kissed for a few fevered minutes, hands wandering until Kylo’s came to rest at the buckle of Hux’s belt. He tugged at it until it clattered open. The sound had Hux tensing with fear.

“We can’t do this here,” he said in Kylo’s ear.

“Yes, we can. Let me.”

Hux allowed himself to be walked back until he was against the shelf across the way. Kylo hooked his thumbs at Hux’s waistband and tugged his pants down over his hips. Hux had to stifle a groan as Kylo cupped him through his underwear.

“Already hard for me,” Kylo said. “Do you even know how hot that is?”

“Must you always talk?” Hux hissed.

“Do you not like it?”

Hux _did_ like it. Perhaps a little too much. This just wasn’t the time. “Just touch me,” he said.

Kylo obliged, pushing his underwear down and taking Hux in hand. Hux let his head fall back against the books. Kylo took advantage of his bared throat and pressed a line of kisses up from Hux’s collarbone to his chin. He cocked his head and nipped. Hux drew in a sharp breath. Kylo’s hand came over his mouth.

“Hush, gorgeous,” he said. “I’ll make you scream someday, but not now.”

Hux bucked his hips, but remained silent. Kylo gave his cock a few languid strokes as he kissed the join of Hux’s neck and shoulder. A gentle pressure at Hux’s lips had him parting them. Kylo pressed his middle finger into the heat of Hux’s mouth. It was obscene, but Hux sucked at it, wetting it.

“Can you keep quiet,” Kylo said, “if I take my hand away?”

Hux met his eyes and gave a curt nod. Kylo drew his finger out, replacing it with his lips. Hux shuddered as he felt Kylo reaching behind and tracing the cleft of his ass.

“Just one for now.”

Hux clapped his own palm over his mouth as Kylo breached him. There was a small sting, but it faded as Kylo worked the finger deeper inside. Hux’s eyes fluttered shut as he drew it back, twisting slightly.

Kylo traced the shell of Hux’s ear with the tip of his tongue. “So tight. Warm. Is that good?”

Hux replied by clutching at Kylo’s waist with his free hand.

Kylo hummed, pleased, and began moving in earnest. Had Hux been anywhere else, he would have been shouting, panting Kylo’s name with each slide of his finger. When Kylo crooked it just right, Hux’s back bowed. The books behind his head slid back an inch on the shelf as he pressed against them.

“I wish I was inside you right now,” Kylo said. “I want to feel you come around me. Would you want that?”

Hux nodded again, the only thing he could do without crying out. He slid his hand down to brush between Kylo’s legs. Kylo pulled back.

“This isn’t about me,” he said. “It’s all for you.”

Hux’s knees trembled as he struggled to keep still and quiet. It wouldn’t be long now, though. He could feel the sensation building, making his head spin. As Kylo tightened his grip on his cock, Hux lost control. He came, sullying Kylo’s hand and the floor at their feet. He fell back against the shelf for support.

“You look amazing like this,” Kylo said.

Hux released his hold on his mouth. “Debauched?” His voice was rough as if he had been yelling.

Kylo smiled. “Thoroughly. There a bathroom on this floor? We’d better clean up.”

“Around the corner by the stairs.” Hux stooped to pull his pants back up. Kylo waited until he was at least reasonably presentable before heading toward the men’s room.

Kylo washed the traces of Hux from his hands while Hux tried to put his hair back in order. He untucked and rearranged his shirt, smoothing it down across his stomach.

“Are we actually going to see the history librarian?” Kylo asked as he tossed the paper towels he had used into the trash.

“We can,” Hux replied. “But I’d rather not. Not like this.”

Kylo looked utterly innocent. “Like what?”

Hux rolled his eyes. “You have work to do. I’ve kept you away from it long enough. Let me go and get the bibliography from Thanisson.”

“You want to discuss it over dinner tonight?”

“You don’t work in the evening?”

“Not until ten.” Kylo took a step closer. “Do you like Indian?”

“I do, yes.”

“Then meet me outside the library at five. Bring that bibliography.” He caught Hux’s chin between his forefinger and thumb. “I’ll see you later, gorgeous.”

“Why do you call me that?” Hux said.

“Because you are.” He kissed Hux, lightly sucking on his lower lip. “Until tonight.”

Hux watched him leave the bathroom. When he was gone, Hux leaned against the sink and looked at himself in the mirror. He knew in an abstract sense that he was attractive, and he had gotten his fair share of compliments before, but no one had ever described him as “gorgeous.” He thought it an overstatement, but when Kylo said it he was almost able to believe it. He sighed, smiling at his reflection, and then left to find Thanisson on the second floor.

 

* * *

 

“I’ve never been here before,” Hux said as he walked into the small restaurant Kylo had brought him to. It was dimly lit, but the walls were colorful, bedecked in rich red and yellow, gold and purple.

“You’ve been missing out, then,” said Kylo. “This is the best Indian place in the city.” He waved to the hostess, who smiled at him and gestured to the fairly empty seating area.

“You come here often?” Hux asked as he trailed behind Kylo to a booth in the back.

“At least once a week. I, uh, don’t really cook much.”

Hux took off his jacket and sat. “Then I’ll have to make you dinner sometime.”

“I’d like that,” Kylo said. “What’s your best dish?”

“Spinach alfredo with angel hair, hands down.”

“That sounds incredible. I’m starving.” He slid the menu over to Hux and grinned. “We didn’t really get to eat lunch.”

After speaking with Thanisson, Hux had had the sandwich he had packed for himself, but he hadn’t thought that Kylo wouldn’t have eaten something.

“You already know what you’re going to get?” he said.

“Yep,” said Kylo. “Kofta. Every time.”

“Are you a vegetarian?”

“Nah, I just like the sauce. Spicy and creamy. It’s amazing. What kind of naan do you want?” He pointed to the bottom of the menu. “They have all kinds.”

Hux had a fondness for garlic, but it wasn’t exactly the kind of thing one ate when expecting to be kissed. “How about the plain? I know it’s not very exciting, but—”

“Honestly, it’s what I always get,” Kylo said. “You can’t go wrong with it. What are you going to get to eat?”

“I think I’ll try this kofta you’re so fond of.”

Kylo gave him a look. “You can’t get the same thing. Then there’s no point in sharing.”

“I don’t really make a habit of sharing my dinner with others,” Hux said.

“Indian is supposed to be shared. It’s not like I’m going to lick your fork or anything.” Kylo leaned in, looking at Hux through hooded eyes. “Though considering where our mouths have already been, I don’t see why it’s a problem.”

Hux felt the toe of Kylo’s shoe against his ankle. “What are you doing?”

“Playing footsie. I’d put my hands on you if I could, but you decided to sit across from me.”

“You could have said something if you wanted me to sit next to you.”

Kylo shrugged one shoulder. “It’s probably for the best. We’re here to eat, not get handsy.”

The waiter arrived with two glasses of water. “Would you like something else to drink?” he asked.

“Could we have a pot of chai?” Kylo said. “And some samosas to start.”

“That’s a lot of food,” said Hux.

“Leftovers. I’ll have lunch for tomorrow. Is there a microwave in the library?”

“In the staff lounge.”

“Maybe you could do me a favor and warm it up for me?”

“Perhaps,” said Hux, taking a sip of his water. “What do I get in return?”

“Whatever you want,” Kylo said. “As long as it makes you feel good, I’ll do it.”

Hux looked down. “I’m afraid I don’t have very thrilling tastes. The basics tend to cover them.”

Kylo reached across the table and took both of Hux’s hands in his. “Then I can show you some things. If you want. But we can start slow, too.”

“Nothing about this has been slow,” Hux said.

“Is that a problem?”

“No. It’s just different.”

Kylo regarded him steadily. “We can dial it back a bit if you...if you’re uncomfortable.”

“It’s not that,” said Hux. “Everything we’ve done has been good.”

“Just good?” Kylo said, dragging his teeth over his lower lip. “Today was incredible.”

“Well, yes.”

“Glad you agree, because I loved watching you come apart like that.”

Hux traced the edge of the table with his fingertips. “I’d like to do something for you.”

“Gorgeous, you can do anything to me,” Kylo said.

The waiter returned with the samosas and the chai. Kylo poured them both cups, putting two heaping spoonfuls of sugar into his. Hux drank it plain.

“So, why’d you want to be a librarian?” Kylo said. He bit into his samosa.

Hux cut his into more manageable pieces. “I worked in the library when I was an undergraduate. I learned to appreciate the work and then to love it. By the time I graduated, I knew it was what I wanted to do. Why do you want to pursue a career in academia?”

“It’s the only thing I’m really good at. And I enjoy it. Especially the research.”

“I can tell,” Hux said, smiling. “And you do have a gift for it. Although your Middle English could use some work.”

“Yeah, well, if I was better at it, you wouldn’t have come to read to me,” Kylo said. “And I’m really glad you did.”

“As am I.”

Hux ended up having the kofta after all. Kylo ordered a cheese dish in fragrant red sauce. Hux did try it, spooning it out onto the bed of rice on his plate. It was delicious. When they finished the chai, Kylo asked for another pot. Even after their food had been boxed up to take away, they stayed in the booth sipping at the milky tea and talking.

Kylo, it turned out, was an only child from New England. He didn’t say it outright, but it was clear when he mentioned summering on Martha’s Vineyard that he came from money. He had gone out west to get his bachelor’s degree at Berkeley, but had returned to the east coast to get his master’s at Hosnian.

“Where do your parents live?” he asked.

“My father is in London still,” Hux replied. “My mother is in France.”

“Divorced?”

“Not formally; that would be disgraceful. But they’ve lived apart since I graduated from secondary school.”

“There were some times when I thought my parents were going to split,” said Kylo, “but they never did. They still fight like cats in a bag, though.”

Hux laughed. “That’s quite the image.”

“It’s true.”

“I’ve no doubt.”

The waiter brought the check. Hux snatched the black plastic folder before Kylo could.

“Consider it a thank-you for earlier,” he said.

Kylo smiled knowingly. “Oh, I plan to make you pay me back in a totally different way, but I’ll let you buy me dinner if you insist.”

Hux slid his credit card into the pocket in the folder and set it at the edge of the table. “What way?”

“Are you asking me what I want?”

“I suppose I am.”

“A lot of things,” Kylo said, “but what I really want is...three full hours of transcription tomorrow.”

Hux’s face fell.

Kylo chuckled. “Not what you were expecting?”

“Not exactly, but I’ll rearrange my schedule.”

“Thank you, Hux. Thanks for dinner, too.”

“You’re very welcome, Kylo.”

When they had paid, they went back out into the crisp autumn air. It was still too early for snow, but Hux was already looking forward to it. He loved the wintertime.

“Would you like a ride home?” he said. He had driven them from campus to the restaurant.

“I’ll walk,” Kylo said. “It’s only a few blocks to my apartment.”

“All right.” Hux fell back a step toward the parking lot. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

Kylo took him by the waist. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not leaving yet.”

“I’m not coming home with you,” Hux said. “I need to feed my cat.”

“Okay, fine. Just kiss me before you go.”

Hux rarely allowed public displays of affection, but Kylo was looking at him so expectantly that it was difficult to refuse. Moving in, Hux brushed their lips together. It was barely a kiss. Kylo seemed pleased enough, though. He gave Hux’s sides a last squeeze before setting off down the sidewalk.

 

* * *

 

Hux ended up spending four hours in the reading room the next day instead of three. His throat was dry, his voice raspy, by the time they finished, but he was glad to have helped Kylo with the translation.

“I’m going to get a cup of tea,” he said as he got up.

“From the café?” Kylo asked.

There was a small coffee shop in the glass atrium between the Vader Library and the main research building. They served baked goods and a few salads and wraps as well as hot drinks.

“I have an electric kettle in my office,” Hux replied.

“Of course you do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kylo set a hand on his thigh. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. You’re prepared for anything. I like it. I like you.”

Hux glanced out at the reference desk, where Mitaka was talking to someone on the phone. He seemed quite intent on his conversation. Satisfied that they weren’t being watched, Hux planted a kiss at the corner of Kylo’s mouth.

“You’re killing me,” Kylo said when Hux moved back to an appropriate distance. “Want to go up to the stacks again?”

“I have work to do.”

“Yeah, I know. I have to go home and put these notes in order.”

“You’re done with the books for today?” Hux said.

“Pretty much,” said Kylo. “I only have one more to go through, and it can wait until tomorrow.”

Hux tried not to be disappointed. “Tomorrow’s your last day here.”

“Hey,” Kylo said, rubbing Hux’s knee. “It’s not like I’m leaving the university. I want to keep seeing you. As much as you’ll let me.”

“Come to dinner tomorrow night,” said Hux. “At my flat.”

“Absolutely.”

Hux felt buoyed again. He looked at Kylo’s mouth, wanting to kiss him in earnest, but the swinging of the reading room door caught his attention. Phasma, wearing the apron she donned when she was repairing books, walked in. Her gaze seemed to zero in on Kylo’s arm, which was clearly in Hux’s space. It fell away as Hux stood.

“Phasma, what can I do for you?”

She ignored the question and stuck her hand out toward Kylo. “Hey, there. You must be Mr. Light Saber.”

Kylo’s brows went up as he shook her hand. “Is that what he calls me?”

“He told me your name, but I forgot it. Sorry.”

“Kylo Ren. And you are?”

“You can call me Phasma. Everyone does.”

“Nice to meet you.”

She tipped her head toward Hux. “So, you and this one. Do you have honorable intentions and all that?”

Hux’s mouth dropped open. “Phasma, what are you doing?”

Once again she ignored him, focused completely on Kylo.

“If you’re asking if I intend to take him out and treat him right,” he said, “then yeah. But I wouldn’t call all of my intentions honorable.”

Hux flushed, continuing to gape.

Phasma grinned. “Good. I think I like you, Kylo Ren. And he does, too.”

“Oh my god, please stop this right now,” Hux said.

“You look damn good when you blush, gorgeous,” said Kylo.

Phasma cocked a brow. “Oh, I really like you. He needs a boyfriend who will tell him he’s pretty.”

Kylo touched the back of Hux’s hand where it hung at his side. “I’m glad to be of service.”

Hux swallowed, a little relieved that Kylo hadn’t called himself Hux’s boyfriend. It had been four days. Hardly time enough to call their association a relationship.

“Phasma, don’t you have some pages to sew or something of that nature?” he asked.

She eyed him. “Of course, Hux. I’ll get right back on it. Good to meet you, Kylo.”

When she had gone, Hux deflated. He was embarrassed, but not so much that it was unbearable. Despite his better judgment, he liked the idea of making things more permanent with Kylo. What Phasma had said was true; he was already quite fond of him.

“Well, that was something,” Kylo said. “She doesn’t really pull punches, does she?”

“No,” said Hux. “She’s the most blunt person I’ve ever known.”

“Clearly. So, you going to get that tea?”

“Yes, I think so. Are you going to go home?”

Kylo nodded. “What are you doing tonight?”

“I’ll need to buy groceries for tomorrow night,” said Hux. “As long as you’d still like to come to dinner.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. So, uh, if the secret’s out about us, can I give you a kiss?”

“We really shouldn’t.”

“Fine,” Kylo said. “You owe me one tomorrow then.”

“All right,” said Hux.

 

* * *

 

Hux debated lighting the two tapered candles he had bought at the grocery store the day before, but decided against it at the last minute. He had set his small kitchen table—white and steel from a modern design store—with utensils and wine glasses. The shallow bowls of pasta he had made were waiting in the kitchen to keep them warm.

It was just after six-thirty, the time he and Kylo had agreed upon for dinner. Kylo had offered to just come home with him after the reading room closed, but Hux had insisted he wanted to cook and have everything ready when Kylo came over. What he hadn’t mentioned was the detour he had taken to the pharmacy, where he had bought a bottle of lubricant and a box of condoms. He had realized the night before that he had neither on hand.

It was presumptuous, perhaps, but he had no illusions about inviting Kylo to his home. If Kylo was willing—and by all accounts, he was—Hux was more than prepared to go to bed with him. He had decided earlier in the day, when Kylo had appeared in his office.

Hux had expected him to ask him to come down to look at a manuscript, but he had shut the door firmly behind him, gone to Hux’s desk, pulled him to his feet and then into his arms.

“I love the way you smell,” Kylo had said as he sucked at Hux’s neck. “How you taste, too.”

“You’re going to leave a bruise,” Hux had said, tugging him back by the hair.

“That’s kind of the point.”

“I have a consultation in twenty minutes. I’m not about to explain that away.”

“Well, give me one, then.”

“What?” Hux had said.

Kylo had tapped the side of his neck just below of the collar of his shirt. “Right here.”

“No. It’s classless. The kind of thing teenagers do.”

“I want it. Mark me, Hux.”

Hux’s breath had caught. He was generally not a possessive lover, and was not particularly fond of his significant others being so either. But, Kylo’s quiet words, half plea, half command, had had him bending his head to get his mouth over the place Kylo had indicated. He sucked lightly, bringing the blood to the surface of the skin. Kylo had sighed.

Hux looked down at his watch again. 6:37. He almost reconsidered the candles, but before he could get to the kitchen, there was a knock at the door. He went over to open it.

“Hey,” said Kylo. He had changed out of the t-shirt he had been wearing during the day, having replaced it with a green dress shirt open at the collar. The edge of the bruise Hux had given him was just visible. The afternoon beard on his chin had been freshly shaved away, and he smelled like soap.

“Come in,” Hux said, standing to the side.

Kylo stepped past him and looked around. “Nice place.”

“Thank you. I moved in last year.” The apartment was a one-bedroom with a large living room, dining space, and a half bath in addition to the master bathroom. The kitchen was open and spacious. Going to the table, Hux picked up the bottle he had opened and allowed to breathe. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

“Sure,” Kylo said.

Hux handed him a glass of white. He raised his own. “A toast. Congratulations on finishing your thesis research.” Their glasses chimed as they met.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Kylo said after he had taken a sip.

“Mention me in the notes.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m dedicating the whole thing to you.”

Hux shook his head. “I hardly think that’s called for.”

Kylo stirred his wine around absently. “‘To my gorgeous librarian, with my thanks.’ I think it’s got a good ring to it.”

“You wouldn’t dare put that on paper.”

“I guess ‘For Hux’ will have to do, then.”

Hux tried not to smile. “Will you sit down?”

“Yeah.”

Hux retrieved the pasta from the kitchen and set Kylo’s down in front of him.

“This looks amazing.”

“I hope you like it.”

It seemed that Kylo did; he went through his plate in record time and accepted seconds when Hux offered them.

“You didn’t eat lunch, did you?” Hux asked.

“I forgot,” Kylo replied. “I get caught up in stuff and don’t really remember until later. This is delicious, though. Kind of glad I saved myself for it.”

“Good. I hope you like chocolate. I made tarts for dessert.”

Kylo closed his eyes. “God, yes.”

When they were finished, Hux sat back in his chair.

Kylo drained the rest of his wine and set his hands on his stomach. “That was perfect.”

“I’m glad,” said Hux. “I had hoped you would enjoy it.”

“If I could, I would pay you to cook for me all the time.”

“I wouldn’t charge you.”

Kylo shot him a grin. “Can I get you to sit on the sofa with me? Unless you have another course planned.”

Hux got up and, taking his wine, made his way into the living room. Millicent was lying across the back of the couch, her tail twitching lazily. She eyed Kylo with suspicion when he took up the place next to Hux, but he held out his fingers for her to sniff and a moment later she was nuzzling them. He scratched her ears, and she started to purr. Kylo asked her name. He made a face when Hux told him.

“Millicent? Seriously?”

“It was my grandmother’s name,” Hux said.

“I’m sorry for her,” said Kylo.

Hux sniffed. “Millicent Armitage was a very proud woman.”

“Wait. I thought your first name was Armitage.”

“It is. It was passed down to me.” He tipped his glass toward Kylo. “You can’t really throw stones, _Kylo Ren_.”

“It’s not my real name,” he said. “But I’ve gone by it since I was in high school. It used to piss my mom off so I just kept doing it.”

“What is it, then?” said Hux. “Your name.”

“Ben.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s actually Ben Ren.”

Kylo laughed. “No, thank god. My parents aren’t that cruel. It’s Solo.”

“Ben Solo,” said Hux. “It’s no so bad, but I think I prefer Kylo.”

“I like when you say it.” He leaned closer, his gaze moving over Hux’s face. “I want to hear you moan it when I make you come.”

Heat snaked down Hux’s spine. “What makes you think I won’t have you saying my name?”

Kylo bit his lip. “Whatever you want.” He put his hand on Hux’s knee, sliding it up. “However you want.”

Hux grasped his fingers, threaded them together with his own. “Then come with me.”

He had changed the sheets on his bed that morning, smoothed the bedspread out, and fluffed the pillows. He knew it would all go to hell the minute they fell into each other, but he preferred to make the effort.

Kylo’s arms came around Hux’s waist. “Did you invite me to dinner to seduce me?” he teased.

“Are you refusing?”

“No! Hell no.” He pulled Hux against him. “I want you.”

Hux touched Kylo’s jaw. “I want you, too.”

Kylo groaned as he kissed Hux. Each brush of his tongue was hungry and insistent. “Take your clothes off,” he growled. “I need to see you.”

Hux grabbed the hem of his sweater and pulled it up, not worrying in the least about stretching it out. He threw it on the carpet. His undershirt followed. Kylo’s hands were on him immediately, running along his sides and up to his chest. He gasped when Kylo pinched one of his nipples. He hardly had time to recover before Kylo’s mouth was on the other.

“God, Kylo.”

“That’s right, gorgeous,” he said as he trailed his lips up to Hux’s shoulder. “Let me hear you. We don’t have to be quiet here.”

Hux made another sound in his throat as he blindly searched for the buttons of Kylo’s shirt with his fingers. Their hips were pressed together, and Hux could feel Kylo’s cock against his. He almost trembled with the anticipation of Kylo filling him.

“How do you usually do this?” Kylo asked, biting down on the lobe of Hux’s ear. “I can do either, but I really want to fuck you. Is that okay?”

“Yes,” Hux replied. “Yes.”

Kylo hummed. “Good.” He moved back, just enough to get his shirt off.

Hux undid the fly of his pants with shaking hands. He was far from inexperienced and generally kept his calm in the bedroom, but adrenaline was surging through him as he took in Kylo’s broad chest, the smooth taper of his waist to narrow hips. He was stunning.

“Touch me, Hux,” he said.

Hux pressed his palm above Kylo’s heart, circling his nipple with his thumb. Kylo’s head fell back, his hair hanging around his shoulders. Hux leaned in and ran his tongue up from the hollow of Kylo’s throat to his cleanly shaven chin. He pressed a kiss to the bruise he had left earlier in the day.

Kylo dragged his short fingernails down Hux’s back. As he reached the waist of Hux’s pants, he pushed his hands inside them to grasp Hux’s ass. He dug his fingers into the muscle. “You’re going to feel so good around my cock,” he said. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about all day.”

“You expected this?” Hux said.

“I hoped for it.”

Hux reached between them and wrapped his fingers around Kylo. “So did I.”

“I never would have turned you down, gorgeous,” Kylo said. “One word from you and I’d be on my knees.”

“I think that’s my role in this.”

“Oh, god. Is that how you want it?”

Hux gave Kylo’s cock a tight stroke. He mustered his courage and said, “I want to see your face when you come.”

“Fuck,” Kylo groaned. “Lie down. I need to get you ready. Unless you do it yourself.”

Hux did often  open himself up. He’d found that some of his partners had done it clumsily, and it was often easier just to take care of it himself, especially if he wanted to get it done quickly.

“You do,” Kylo said, reading him. “That’s fine. I like to watch.”

Hux sighed, closing his eyes. “All right.”

They stripped out of the rest of their clothes and crawled together onto the bed. Hux went to the bedside table and drew out the lubricant and a foil-wrapped condom. He handed the latter to Kylo. It was put to the side for the moment as Kylo caressed the soft skin of Hux’s stomach.

Flipping the bottle’s cap up, Hux poured a small amount of lubricant onto his fingers. He let his knees fall open as he reached between his legs. He smoothed the cool liquid against himself before pressing two fingers inside.

Kylo peppered kisses and soft bites along Hux’s shoulder and upper arm as he worked himself open. It had been some time since he had done this, so it took longer than he would have liked, but soon enough he added a third finger and was sliding them in and out steadily.

“Could you get yourself off like this?” Kylo asked. “Untouched?”

“I’ve done it before,” Hux replied, a little breathless, “but not in a long time.”

“I’ll do it for you sometime. Would you want that? Just my fingers until you lost control?”

Hux nodded.

“Can I suck your cock?” said Kylo. “Just until you’re ready for me.”

“Yes. Please.”

“Say that again.”

“Please, Kylo.”

“Christ, Hux, you’re amazing,” he said as he slid down Hux’s body. He settled between Hux’s spread thighs. He looked up into Hux’s eyes as he swallowed him down.

Hux cried out, fisting Kylo’s hair with his free hand. He let Kylo suck him wetly. Craving more, Hux curled the fingers he had inside himself. Electric pleasure arched through him.

“Keep going,” he panted. “Make me come. Please. I need it. I can’t wait.”

Kylo took him deep into his throat. Hux shouted, his hips stuttering through the orgasm.

“The sounds you make,” Kylo said when he had pulled away. “So fucking sexy. Are you ready? I want to be inside you.”

“Yes,” said Hux.

Kylo sat up, retrieved the condom, and rolled it on. He spread lubricant over himself. “Put your legs around me, gorgeous.”

Hux encircled his waist, pulling him in tight. Kylo lined himself up and slowly began to push in. Hux took to deep breaths as he stretched to accommodate him.

“You okay?” Kylo asked when he was fully seated.

“Yes. It’s good.”

“Incredible. I’m going to…” He trailed off as he began to move. Hux let his eyes fall closed.

Kylo started slowly, letting Hux get used to him, but when Hux nipped at his jaw and told him, “Harder,” he obliged. He drove into Hux with each thrust, giving soft, deep grunts and curses. He told Hux how good he felt, how tight he was, how much he had wanted this. Hux had never known someone who talked as much as Kylo did when in the throes, but he liked it. Kylo’s voice was affecting.

“Hux,” he said. “I’m so close. Tell me you want me, that I’m good for you.”

“You are,” Hux said. “I wanted you like this so much. Let me see your face. Open your eyes for me, Kylo.”

He did, pressing his forehead to Hux’s.

“Let go,” Hux breathed.

Kylo’s body went taut as he came, Hux’s name falling from his lips. Hux held him until the tremors had subsided. He brushed Kylo’s damp hair back from his brow.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Kylo sighed in reply. “That was…”

“I know.”

Kylo smiled down at him. “Yeah? You liked it?”

“That’s a bit of an understatement,” Hux said, “but yes, I did.”

“Good,” Kylo said. “That’s what I was going for. You, uh, mind if I use your bathroom to clean up?”

“Of course not.”

Hux lay back against the pillows, pleasantly sore. He listened to the water running in the bathroom. When Kylo came back out, he sat down at the edge of the mattress next to Hux.

“Do you want me to stick around for a while?” he said. “Or should I go?”

“I’m not going to throw you out right after that,” said Hux.

Kylo shrugged one shoulder. “You wouldn’t be the first if you did. I don’t really make a habit of staying the night.”

“I understand. You can go if you want to. Or...would you like another glass of wine? We still have half a bottle.”

“I’d like that.”

Hux cleaned himself up while Kylo went to get them the wine. Dressed again, Hux met him in the living room. They went to the sofa again. Kylo sat and patted the space beside him. When Hux went to it, Kylo wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

“So, what are you doing this weekend?” Kylo said.

“I’m going to play tennis tomorrow morning,” said Hux. “At the town club.”

“You play tennis?”

“Since I was a boy.”

“Are you good?”

“I can hold my own.”

Kylo tapped Hux’s upper arm with his fingers. “What about tomorrow night?”

“Nothing in particular,” Hux said.

“There’s live music at The Alderaan Room. I was going to go with a couple of friends. Think you might want to come?”

“What kind of music?”

“Covers mostly. The band’s not bad, though.”

“I suppose,” said Hux.

Kylo raised a brow. “That doesn’t sound very enthusiastic.”

Hux smiled. “I’d very much like to come with you.”

“Awesome,” Kylo said, kissing Hux again.


	3. Chapter 3

## Chapter Three

Hux returned to his apartment the next afternoon quite pleased with himself. He and Thanisson, his doubles partner, had thoroughly trounced both sets of opponents they had faced at the tennis club. He was still coming off the high as he showered and made himself a light lunch.

Taking his plate out with him, he sat on his small balcony with a throw blanket over his legs to ward off the autumn chill and pulled up the novel he had been reading on his phone. He was just starting the chapter when a banner rolled across the top of the screen announcing an incoming text message.

 _You promised me a picture of you in your tennis outfit_ , Kylo wrote, _but you didn’t deliver._

Hux chuckled. He had forgotten about the late night oath he had taken to send Kylo a “picture of you all sweaty and preppy in your tennis clothes.” He didn’t think he had been serious, but he should have guessed that Kylo had been.

 _I apologize_ , he typed. _The opportunity didn’t present itself._

 _It would have taken thirty seconds_ , Kylo replied. _You couldn’t have spared that?_

 _I’m sorry_ , Hux said, genuinely repentant.

The phone buzzed with another message: _Take one of you now, then._

Hux chewed his lip, never having been particularly keen on or skilled at the selfie. However, he tapped the camera icon, flipped the image, and held his phone out at arm's length. He wasn’t sure whether to smile or not, so he settled for an impassive face. He deleted the first image he took, rearranged his hair, adjusted the angle, and took another. It was passable. He selected it and sent it without a caption.

 _Gorgeous_ , was Kylo’s reply. _What are you doing?_

 _I just finished lunch_ , said Hux. The crust of his turkey sandwich was lying forgotten on the plate, but he picked up the last of his carrot sticks and took a bite.

_Oh, yeah? What’d you have?_

Hux gave him a cursory description, adding, “nothing special” as a coda.

 _That sounds incredible,_ Kylo said. _I’m really hungry._

 _You’re at work?_ Hux asked. He could imagine Kylo in his red and black uniform, wiping the bar with a damp cloth or drying glasses as he spoke with some of the customers. It was a cliché perhaps, but Hux was familiar with those. He worked in a profession where everyone had a preconceived notion of what a librarian looked like and how he or she behaved. It was hardly close to the truth, but that didn’t seem to stop it.

 _Yeah,_ Kylo wrote. _Been here since 11. I’m done at 6, though. We still on for tonight?_

Hux typed a response without hesitation: _The Alderaan Room, 8pm. I’ll be there._

_I can’t wait to see you. You been thinking of me today?_

_I have,_ Hux said. In fact, Kylo had been on his mind more than anything else since he had woken. He was almost ashamed to admit that he had, like a desperate teenager, taken advantage of his morning erection and come hard thinking of Kylo’s hands on him in the stacks.

_What kind of things?_

The corners of Hux’s mouth turned up. Of course Kylo would want to know the sordid details. How he expected to read them while working, though, was beyond Hux. He did not make a habit of texting anyone while at the library, let alone describing his fantasies. Hux had a fairly passable poker face, but he doubted he would be able to keep his body from betraying him if he carried on that kind of conversation.

 _Don’t you have work to do?_ he asked.

 _It’s slow_ , Kylo said. _Tell me._

Hux paused, his thumb above the keyboard, but then slowly began to type. _I thought about your hands on me. Of how your body tastes. What it felt like to have you inside me._

Blushing despite himself, he sent the message.

The response came only a few moments later: _You were amazing last night. It hasn’t felt that good in a long time. Do you want me again?_

 _I should think that’s a foregone conclusion_ , Hux replied.

_I like it when you tell me what you want. I have a feeling people haven’t asked you about it as often as they should._

Hux couldn’t deny that. The boyfriends he had had in the past few years had been satisfactory in the bedroom, but he had never had a discussion with any of them about what either party desired outside of the basic mechanics of the act. Hux had never really considered what he wanted beyond that, in fact. He wasn’t certain he had much knowledge of the more adventurous side of sex. He assumed, though, that Kylo did.

 _So_ , Kylo said after a pause, _what do you want?_

Hux bit his cheek, typing his response carefully. _I thought about you behind me. What that would feel like._

_It would feel damn good. Would you be on your knees or standing? I’d really like to bend you over our table in the reading room._

_Standing_ , Hux replied, feeling himself stirring at the image in his mind. He liked the idea of being taken hard and fast as he scrabbled for purchase on the reading table. With a glance, he could have seen their reflection in the plate glass windows.

 _Oh, yeah_ , said Kylo. _That’s my favorite position. Though I usually like to be the one bent over._

Hux’s cock jumped. _You’d let me do that?_

_Hell, yes, I would. I want you inside me sometime. A lot._

_I’d like that, too._

When a reply didn’t come immediately, Hux fought off a touch of nerves, wondering if he had said something wrong. Unwilling to sit and stare at his phone in fretful silence, he got up and went to the kitchen. He kept his phone in his back pocket as he washed the dishes and set them in the wooden rack to dry. He filled the kettle and set it on the stove to boil, though he jumped when his text alert went off.

 _Sorry, I had a few people come in_ , Kylo wrote. _There’s so much I want to do to you._ A pause and then another message: _And have you do to me. Think you could come to my place after drinks tonight?_

Hux grinned outright. _I don’t see why not_.

 _Ugh_ , said Kylo. _I don’t know how I’m going to make it through this shift. But I’ve got a big party coming in, so I’ll have to talk to you later. See you tonight, gorgeous._

Hux tucked his phone away and leaned against the counter. The clock on his stove read 1:54. He had five hours to kill before he could even consider getting ready to leave for the bar. He considered picking up his book again, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate. It was a little foolish. He hadn’t been so flustered by someone in a long time, maybe not since he was a college student just exploring dating for the first time.

As a teenager, he had been closeted, though only because he had no interest in making a fuss at his high school. There were openly gay students, of course—many of whom he had been friends with—but he had never been drawn to any of them. When he went to college, however, he had fallen for a fellow student in his dormitory. Aaron had been an honors student studying anthropology, and he had spent a great deal of time in the quiet reading space in the dorm. Hux had met him there when he had asked for a spare pencil.

Their acquaintance began slowly, with both of them just running into each other in the small study room, exchanging a wave, and then going about their own work. But gradually they began to sit next to each other. They would spend hours like that: unspeaking, their pencils scratching along in their notebooks. Hux tried to think of every scenario in which he could work up the courage to ask him out for coffee or dinner, but he was always afraid that he wasn’t inclined to men. Hux had not been particularly adept at identifying someone’s sexual preference at that point in his life.

Fortunately, he hadn’t been required to make the first move. Aaron had caught Hux’s hand as they stood up from their table one afternoon. Hux had looked down at him in confusion, but Aaron had only smiled and said, “Want to come back to my room for a little while?” Hux had gone happily.

They had dated for the rest of the academic year, spending each spare moment they had around class together. Aaron had all but driven Hux to distraction, but he wouldn’t have allowed Hux to let his grades slip because of their relationship. Much of their time together was spent studying.

When summer came, they fell out of touch and by the next year Aaron had transferred to another university. Hux had mourned the loss for a few weeks before deciding moping was not for him. He met several other young men over the course of his undergraduate years, even falling in love with one or two of them. He remembered those days well, when someone could still steal his breath or make his stomach turn over just by casting a glance his way.

Those feelings had faded, though, as he matured. He set more boundaries and became more cautious, determined to preserve his own goals and not let his aspirations be derailed by an intimate relationship. His partners would respect that or he saw no reason to bother with them. Some had said it made him distant and unavailable, and it had led to more than one breakup. He was not interested in compromising, though. He would find someone eventually who understood his perspective and respected it; perhaps someone who was equally driven.

What was happening with Kylo was different. Hux had allowed himself to be caught up in the moment and was acting on impulse in ways he had not in years. Kylo had caught him by surprise with his compliments and unabashed advances. Under most circumstances, Hux would have been turned off by such forwardness, but Kylo had managed to fully bypass that barrier with a few endearments and unrestrained sexuality. He wasn’t coy about anything; he said what he wanted, pausing only to make sure that Hux wanted the same, and then took it. It was strangely fascinating. Hux had never known anyone quite so brazen. And he never would have expected to respond so strongly to it.

Pushing back from the counter, Hux rubbed a hand over his brow. He was accustomed to looking forward to going out with a new partner, but it had never made him restless before. With a sigh, he resolved to take care of some things around the house to keep himself occupied.

 

* * *

 

The Alderaan Room was fairly empty when he arrived at 7:50, only a few groups scattered around the tables and booths. Hux made his way to the bar, where he sat and ordered an Old Fashioned. It wasn’t as good as the one Kylo had made him, but he sipped at it while he waited. He was absently watching the football game on one of the TVs when an arm slid around his waist. He could smell a familiar, spicy cologne.

“Hey,” Kylo said in his ear. “You been here long?”

“No,” said Hux, turning. His lips almost brushed Kylo’s cheek.

“Good. I don’t ever want to keep you waiting.” He squeezed Hux’s side. “You look great.”

Hux looked him over in turn. He was wearing dark jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that followed the contours of the muscles in his arms. “You do, too. Are your friends with you?”

“Not yet,” Kylo said. “They’re always at least thirty minutes late. And I kind of wanted you to myself for a while anyway.” He flagged down the bartender and ordered a beer and another Old Fashioned. He handed the cocktail to Hux. “Let’s go find a booth in the back.”

Hux followed him, sliding into a shadowed booth next to him. As soon as he set down his drink, Kylo’s hand was on his jaw, drawing him in. Hux was tentative as he went into the kiss, very aware of all the people around them.

“What’s wrong?” Kylo asked, rubbing a soothing hand along Hux’s thigh.

“I’m, ah, not used to having an audience,” Hux replied.

Kylo smiled. “You’re shy.”

Hux grimaced. No one had ever described him that way before. Reserved, controlled, yes, but shy? No.

“I just know what people think when they see two men like this,” he said. “Well, anyone, in fact. Doesn’t watching a couple kiss in public make you uncomfortable?”

“Not at all,” said Kylo. “But if you don’t want to, that’s fine. I don’t want to do something you don’t like.”

Hux studied Kylo’s features, their contours unusual, but elegant in their way. His gaze went to Kylo’s mouth. “I do like it,” he said. Leaning in, he kissed Kylo again, this time without hesitation.

Kylo’s hand went to the nape of Hux’s neck, fingers massaging gently. Hux moved closer until he was resting his palm against Kylo’s chest, finding him warm and solid. Hux focused on that rather than the chatter of the other people around the bar.

The clearing of a throat caught his attention, though, and had him pulling back. He turned to see Kylo’s coworker, the girl Rey, standing by their booth. She was smiling.

“How’s it going there, you two?” she said.

“Hey, Rey,” said Kylo, releasing Hux. “You’re early.”

She shrugged. “Figured I might get a drink and stake out a place for us. Looks like you guys already have that covered.” She looked over at Hux. “Hey, I didn’t catch your name the last time we met.”

“It’s Hux,” he said, offering his hand.

She shook it. “Mind if I sit?”

“Not at all,” said Hux, gesturing to the spot beside him on the bench seat.

Rey slid in, bouncing just slightly and jostling Hux. “You heard from Finn and Poe yet?” she asked Kylo as she planted her elbows firmly on the table and looked around Hux at him.

“Not since three-ish,” he said. “They said they’re coming.”

“Whoever it is, I hope they’re coming hard,” said a man approaching the table. He wore a brown leather jacket and had dark hair styled carefully to look careless.

“Seriously, Poe?” said Rey, rolling her eyes. “What are you, fifteen?”

He flashed her a grin. “At heart. What’s up, Rey, Kylo?” He looked at Hux with interest. “And hello to you.”

Kylo made introductions.

“Nice to meet you, Hux,” said Poe, sitting down. He continued to smile.

“Where’s Finn?” Rey asked.

“Right here,” said a young man, presumably Finn. He was somehow managing to carry three glasses of beer, all of which he set down on the table. The others greeted him warmly. Kylo told him Hux’s name.

“Good to see a new face around,” Finn said.

“And such a nice one, too,” Poe said, winking at Hux. He held up his glass. “Cheers.”

Hux raised his along with everyone else, and they drank together.

“How was work today?” Rey said to Kylo. “So glad I finally got a day off.”

“Yeah, rub it in,” he said, though there was no venom in it. “It was fine. Same old, same old. Did you work today, Finn?”

Finn shook his head. “Nope. Poe and I went hiking. Eight miles.”

“Nice, man,” said Kylo.

Poe leaned on the table, looking at Hux. “You a fan of hiking?”

Hux really wasn’t. “From time to time,” he said anyway. “But I haven’t been in years.”

“More the indoorsy type?” said Rey.

Hux tipped his head to the side, conceding. “Admittedly.”

“So’s Kylo,” she laughed. “I guess you guys are a good match.”

Kylo put his hand at the small of Hux’s back. “You could say that.”

Warmth spread through Hux, radiating from where Kylo was touching him. Rey gave him a look, though Hux couldn’t decide whether it was approving or not. He found himself hoping it was. If he was going to be spending more time with Kylo, he didn’t want these people to dislike him. And he _did_ want to spend more time with Kylo.

“So, Hux,” said Poe, “how’d you get mixed up with Ren here?”

“I helped him with his thesis research,” Hux said. “In the library.”

Poe leaned back, putting his arms over the back of the seat. “Oh man, you’re a librarian? That’s automatically sexy. You know that, right?”

Hux gave him the half-smile he reserved for that reaction to telling someone what he did for a living. “I’ve heard that, yes. Though I’m not sure all of us live up to it.”

Poe gave him a slow, appraising once-over. “You do.”

“Yeah,” said Kylo, rubbing Hux’s back. “I’m lucky he even looked at me.”

Hux gave him a curious look. Kylo didn’t seem the type to disparage himself. Maybe he wasn’t beautiful in the conventional sense, but his dark eyes and hair, his height and the enticing bow of his mouth made him very striking.

“Hardly,” Hux said, shaking his head. “It was quite difficult to look away.”

Kylo grinned and pulled Hux closer to him.

The conversation shifted to other things then. It turned out that Finn worked part time at a bank and Poe as a driver for a limousine company. Hux wasn’t certain who in a small college town would actually need limo service, but it seemed like Poe did well enough for himself. He was also the oldest of the three friends. He was, like Hux, in his thirties. Both Rey and Finn were students around Kylo’s age.

They were on their second round of drinks when the band started to play. As Kylo had said, it was mostly covers of classic rock songs and few popular things, but they were good. Poe, Finn, Rey, and Kylo had to raise their voices considerably as they talked. Hux didn’t speak as much, listening instead to their chatter about school and some inside jokes that Hux couldn’t follow. Despite being somewhat left out, Hux enjoyed watching them. And every now and then Kylo would touch his leg or shoulder as if to check that everything was all right.

“Another round?” Kylo said over the music.

Everyone agreed.

He slid out of the booth and made for the bar. Finn excused himself to go the bathroom, leaving Hux sitting between Rey and Poe.

Rey took a sip of her beer. “So, Kylo really likes you,” she said to Hux. “He’s been talking about you nonstop at work. I’d say it’s annoying, but I’ve never seen him quite so...bright. He’s usually pretty focused on his thesis. Kind of grumpy about anything but that. But lately he’s been in a good mood all the time. It has to be because of you.”

“Thank you?” Hux said.

“You’re welcome,” Poe chuckled. “It’s pretty clear you’re into him, too. You can barely keep your hands off each other.”

Hux looked down, abashed. “I...well. He’s…”

Poe grinned. “There’s nothing wrong with it. You think he’s hot; he thinks you’re hot. Works out perfectly if you ask me.”

“So,” said Rey, leaning over, “you see this going somewhere? I mean, Kylo can be difficult sometimes, but he’s a pretty good guy. I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

Hux wet his lips with the tip of his tongue. It was still so early in their acquaintance, and they had only slept together once—far too little to base a relationship on—but what he said was, “I’d like it to.”

Poe gave a put-upon sigh, sliding his arm around Hux’s shoulders. “No chance for me, huh?”

“I’m sorry, no,” Hux said, offering a small smile. He was flattered by the suggestion, however.

“Shame.”

“Poe,” Kylo said sharply. He was standing at the edge of the table holding more beers and a fresh Old Fashioned for Hux. He was glaring at Poe darkly, eyeing the arm he had around Hux. Poe didn’t look particularly contrite, but he moved away.

“Come on,” Rey said to him. “We’re going to dance.” She slid out of the booth and held out her hand. Poe took it and they headed out to the floor together.

Kylo slipped in next to Hux again. “What did he say to you?” he asked, still frowning.

“Nothing of consequence,” Hux said.

“Dameron is a flirt,” Kylo said. “He’s okay, but I just don’t like…” He hesitated. “I didn’t like him getting all over you.”

Hux hadn’t expected Kylo to have a possessive streak. Under most circumstances he would have been annoyed by it--he disliked the jealous lover trope--but something about the way Kylo’s eyes flashed made his stomach flip.

Hux set his hand on Kylo’s thigh. “I think it was a test.”

Kylo’s brows rose.

“They want to know if I’m...invested in this,” Hux said. “In you.”

Kylo curled his fingers around Hux’s where they rested on his leg. “Are you?”

Hux looked down at their joined hands. It never went like this. Hux had a buffer of at least several weeks before he ever made it clear that he wanted to see someone more than casually. It had been so little time with Kylo, and yet he said, “Yes.”

“Oh.”

That wasn’t quite the response Hux had been looking for. Nervous, he backpedaled. “I meant only that I like spending time with you. I didn’t mean to imply anything more serious. I, ah, am just glad for the opportunity to get to know you better.” A warm hand touched his cheek.

“Relax, gorgeous,” Kylo said. He was smiling, his slightly crooked teeth white in the darkness of the bar. “I just didn’t know what to say. You stole my words.”

“Is that bad?” Hux asked.

“No,” Kylo replied. “I was afraid I’d send you running if I told you how much I want this thing to happen.”

Hux swallowed. “What thing?”

“You and me.” Kylo stroked Hux’s cheekbone with his thumb. “I like you, Hux. A lot. And I meant what I said before. I’m lucky you actually looked at me.”

Hux smiled, leaning into Kylo’s touch. “I like you, too.”

Kylo beamed. “So, does that mean you’d dance with me?”

Glancing over at the dancefloor, Hux spotted Rey and Poe doing something between the Twist and a Charleston. They were laughing and shoving at each other’s shoulders, trying to knock the other off balance. As the song came to an end, though, the music slowed down.

“All right,” Hux said. Kylo threaded their fingers together and led Hux out into the center of the floor.

“Is this okay?” Kylo said as he put his arms around Hux’s neck.

Hux nodded, holding Kylo’s waist. It had been some years since he had danced, and he had never been particularly good at it, but it seemed that Kylo was satisfied just to sway from side to side to the beat of the song.

“Are you having a good time?” Kylo asked. “Aside from getting hit on by Poe.”

“Yes,” Hux replied. “Your friends are very animated. Have you known them for a long time?”

“I met Rey when I started work a year ago. We don’t have any of the same classes or anything since she’s a psychology major. She knew Finn from school, and he and Poe have had an off-and-on thing for as long as I’ve known them.”

“I wouldn’t have known,” said Hux. They had seemed like nothing more than friends, save for a few passing touches: Finn’s hand on Poe’s shoulder or Poe tugging on the lobe of Finn’s ear.

Kylo shrugged. “They’re pretty casual about it. Rey, too. I’m pretty sure that threesome has happened before.” Hux’s eyes widened, and Kylo laughed. “Too much information?”

“Maybe a little,” Hux said.

Leaning close to Hux’s ear, Kylo said, “You ever been with two people at once?”

“No.”

“Would you?”

Hux considered for a moment. “I might. If it was the right people.”

“Yeah,” said Kylo. “It takes a lot of trust. It’s not something you just do on a whim. Most of the time anyway.”

Hux cocked a brow. “Most of the time?”

Kylo looked sheepish. “There was one time where tequila shots were involved and things got a little out of hand.”

“You have a considerable amount of experience for someone so young,” Hux said.

“I’m not _that_ young,” said Kylo, narrowing his eyes slightly. There was no malice, though.

“A fair point,” Hux said. “I apologize.”

Kylo adjusted his arms, bringing Hux closer. “No need. But...are you saying you like my experience?”

“I’m intrigued,” Hux said, smiling.

“Yeah? Anything in particular? I’d show you anything. You just have to ask.” Kylo rubbed the nape of Hux’s neck. “Out loud. I want to hear you say all the things you want to do with me.”

Hux felt heat rising in his face. “I might have to think about it.”

“Take all the time you need,” Kylo said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

The song faded out, transitioning to the lead singer of the band announcing that they would take a break before they started their next set. Hux and Kylo stepped apart, lingering for a moment before returning to the table. Finn was already sitting there when they arrived.

“You guys looked good out there,” he said, grinning.

“Hux looks good,” Kylo said, sitting down. “I do okay.”

Finn laughed. “Yeah, well, you are kind of goofy looking.”

Kylo shoved his shoulder. “Rude.”

“Finn’s never rude,” Rey said as she and Poe appeared again. “He’s the nicest guy we know.”

“Thanks, Rey,” Finn said. “You on the other hand…”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“I’m getting one more round,” Poe said. “Who’s in?”

They all took him up on it.

 

* * *

 

By the time Hux and Kylo left the bar, it was after midnight and the night air was crisp. They bid Rey, Finn, and Poe goodnight as the three of them strode off down the sidewalk with their arms around each other.

“I like them,” Hux said as they disappeared around the corner.

“Yeah?” said Kylo. “I’m glad. They like you, too.”

“Really?”

Kylo nodded. “Sure. We would have left hours ago if they didn’t.”

Hux allowed himself a smile. “I suppose that’s a good thing.”

“It is,” Kylo said. Stepping closer, he nuzzled his chilly nose above the collar of Hux’s jacket. “So, are you coming home with me?”

Hux tipped his head to the side, allowing Kylo to press his lips to the skin of his neck. He was still pleasantly buzzing from the drinks and somewhat less concerned with being seen in an embrace.

“Yes,” he said. “Let me get my car. There’s somewhere to park near your apartment, isn’t there?”

“Yeah. It’s on the street, though. That okay?”

Hux said it was. Together, they went over to the parking lot, where Hux paid for his space using his credit card. As he swung into the driver’s seat of his car, he asked, “Where am I going?”

“Eighth Avenue,” Kylo said.

Hux knew the area well. He turned the key and pulled out into the street. Kylo pointed out an empty spot when they got to the right block, and Hux tucked his car neatly into it. As Kylo stepped out, Hux pulled the small bag he had brought along from the back seat. In it was a change of clothes, his toothbrush, and some deodorant. It was presumptuous maybe, but Kylo had invited him home and he had a suspicion that he would be invited to stay the night.

Kylo’s apartment was up a flight of stairs next to a twenty-four hour convenience store. Hux followed him up and waited while he unlocked the door. Beyond it was a studio with a small kitchen off to the right, a bathroom in the corner, and Kylo’s double bed against the far wall.

“It’s not much,” he said, “but it’s cheap. I don’t get a stipend like the PhDs do.”

“It’s nice,” said Hux. “Simple. Not much to clean.”

Kylo chuckled. “That’s true. Can I take your coat?”

Hux shucked it off and handed it to Kylo. He hung it on a rack by the door that looked like an IKEA purchase. Hux had had a fair amount of IKEA furniture when he was in school, too. He had since sold it on Craigslist and gotten something more permanent.

“You want something to drink?” Kylo asked.

“I think I’ve had quite enough for tonight,” Hux replied.

Kylo went to the sink and pulled a glass from the cabinet above it. “I mean water or tea or something.”

“Oh,” said Hux. “Tea, then.”

“Tea it is,” said Kylo. He lit the gas burner on the stove and put on the kettle.

“How long have you lived here?” Hux said, walking over to the long, narrow windows that looked out over the street.

“Since I started school,” said Kylo. He came up behind Hux and slid his arms around his waist. He set his chin on Hux’s shoulder.

“Do you like it at Hosnian?” Hux said, leaning back against Kylo’s chest.

“Yeah. My professors are good and my advisor is a major scholar in the field. She brought me here.” He pressed a brief kiss to Hux’s bearded jaw. “And the library staff are pretty incredible.”

Hux laughed. “We take our service to patrons very seriously.”

“Mm, yeah,” Kylo said as he circled one of the buttons on Hux’s shirt with his forefinger. “We appreciate it, but I bet you don’t get told that very often.”

“Not really, no,” Hux said. There were anonymous comment cards in the main lobby of the library, but only about twenty of them got filled out each year and most were jokes from undergraduates.

“Well then,” said Kylo, his breath warm against Hux’s ear, “on behalf of the student body of Hosnian University, I’d like to show you just how thankful we are.”

A tremor passed through Hux. “And how do you plan to do that, Mr. Ren?”

“You tell me what you want,” Kylo said, “and I’ll do it.”

Hux sighed as Kylo popped the first button of his shirt open. He let him release the others and then slip his hands underneath it.

“You thinking of something?” Kylo said, trailing his fingers along Hux’s ribs and up to his nipples.

“Yes,” Hux said. It wasn’t particularly easy to think while Kylo’s hands and lips were on him, but his mind was working toward something they had talked about that afternoon. He hesitated for a moment, mustering his courage, and then said, “I want to stand. And I want you to fuck me.”

“Oh, God,” Kylo groaned. “You’re going to kill me, gorgeous. Will you say it again?”

Hux could feel the burn of embarrassment, but it was unmistakably mixed with arousal. “Fuck me, Kylo.”

Taking Hux by the shoulders, Kylo turned him around to face him. He kissed Hux hard, nipping at his lower lip until Hux opened his mouth for Kylo’s tongue. He tasted like the dark beer he had been drinking, rich and chocolatey.

Hux shrugged his shirt off, letting it drop to the floor. Without hesitation, he reached for the hem of Kylo’s shirt. The muscles of his stomach tensed as Hux touched them.

“Shit,” Kylo hissed. “Cold.”

“Sorry,” Hux said, though he didn’t pull his hands back. He let them warm on Kylo’s skin.

Kylo breathed shakily as Hux pushed his shirt up, touching him in careful exploration. He was still, letting Hux do as he pleased.

“Raise your arms,” Hux said quietly. As Kylo complied, Hux lifted his shirt up and off. It was a bit of a stretch, but they were near enough in height that it didn’t pose a serious problem. He dropped it to the wooden floor, disregarded.

He was just leaning in with the intention of kissing the dip of Kylo’s collarbones when a sputtering whistle screeched from the kitchen. Hux had forgotten all about the tea.

“Damn,” Kylo said. “Wait here. Don’t move.” He went to the stove, shutting off the burner as he moved the kettle, and then turned back to Hux. He prowled back to him in long strides.

Hux, without Kylo’s warmth nearby, had wrapped his arms around himself as he shivered slightly. There was a chill in the apartment, likely the product of keeping the heat low to save money. Hux had done the same before.

“We can get under the covers if you want to,” Kylo said, rubbing Hux’s biceps and shoulders.

“No,” said Hux. “You know what I want.”

“Yeah, I do.” Kylo cupped the back of his head and kissed him. “Take off your pants and I’ll get what we need.”

Hux did as he was told, watching Kylo as he went to the small bathroom and retrieved a bottle of lubricant and a condom. He handed the bottle to Hux.

“I know you like to get yourself ready,” he said.

“You do it this time,” Hux said. “I want to feel it.” When given the opportunity, Hux apparently wanted a great many things.

Kylo reached out for him, turning him by the hips until his back was against Kylo’s chest. “You’re incredible. Bend over for me?”

Hux put his hands at the edge of the bed, spreading his legs to bare himself.

“It’s going to be cold,” Kylo said, “but just for a minute.”

“All right,” said Hux, bracing.

Kylo’s left hand curled around his hip as his right trailed along the cleft of Hux’s ass. Almost tentatively, Kylo pushed a finger into him. Hux closed his eyes, clutching at the bedspread. He wasn’t as tense as he had been the night before, but Kylo was still gentle, working the single finger until Hux could take two. Kylo crooked them, brushing against the spot in Hux that made him arch his back and cry out.

“That’s right, yeah?” Kylo said. “There?”

“Right there,” said Hux, breathless. His head was hanging between his arms, a few strands of his hair coming free of the style and falling into his eyes. He wanted to brush them away, but he refused to move, not when Kylo was touching him with the perfect pressure.

“I want to make you come like this,” Kylo said, running his free hand along Hux’s back, over the knobs of his spine where the skin was stretched taut over the bones.

Hux felt goosebumps rise in the wake of Kylo’s palm, making him tremble. “Another time,” he said. “I need you inside me.”

Kylo’s breath hitched, his fingers stilling for a moment inside of Hux. “Need?” he said, his voice low.

Hux looked back over his shoulder. He could only see a sliver of Kylo out of the corner of his eye, but he hoped his expression conveyed exactly how much he wanted him. “Yes.”

“Okay, gorgeous,” Kylo said. “Just wait one more minute. Let me get you open just a little more.” He added a third finger, pumping it into and out of Hux’s body. Hux pushed back against him, impatient.

When Kylo withdrew, Hux heard the rustle of fabric as he pushed his jeans down and then the tear of foil. The wrapper floated to the ground at Hux’s feet.

“Oh, my God,” he said as Kylo began to push into him. The stretch was exquisite.

“Hux, you feel so good,” Kylo groaned. He held Hux by the hips, one of his hands wet with lubricant. He eased himself deeper, stopping only when the soft curls at the base of his cock were against Hux’s skin. He paused there.

Hux waited, letting his body adjust to the feeling of Kylo inside him. Feeling just a little wicked, he tightened around Kylo’s cock, making him sputter and curse.

“Slow or fast, gorgeous?” Kylo asked, adjusting himself slightly so that Hux got a taste of what it felt like to have him move.

Hux gasped and pushed back against him, seeking more. “Fast. Hard.”

Kylo bent down until he was covering Hux from behind. He reached up with his sticky right hand and tweaked Hux’s nipple. “You’ll tell me if it’s too much?”

“It won’t be,” Hux said.

Kylo made a deep, satisfied sound and stood up again. He wrapped his arm around Hux’s waist to steady himself, and maybe Hux, too. Hux was burning with anticipation, wanting to demand that Kylo get on with it already. The words stuck in his throat, though, as Kylo pulled out and drove back in. Hux groaned.

Kylo paused, slowed. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not going to break,” Hux said sharply. “I want this. _Fuck me_.”

The “yeah” was clipped as Kylo pushed into him hard. Hux bit his lower lip, muffling another desperate cry. From there, Kylo set are quick, unforgiving pace. Hux stood firmly, grounded by both Kylo’s hold on him and his grip on the bedspread. Each thrust was accompanied by a panting grunt from Kylo or an occasional curse.

“Does that feel good?” he asked as he reached down to take hold of Hux’s cock. “I need to make you come. I want to feel you around me when you do.”

Hux closed his fingers over Kylo’s, guiding him as he worked Hux’s length. “God, yes. That’s right. I’m close. Just keep going.”

Together they stroked Hux until he went careening over the edge of his control. His back arched, his head thrown back, as he came with Kylo’s name on his lips.

“Fuck,” Kylo growled. “Oh, fuck, Hux.” With a last roll of his hips, he was shouting, pulling Hux to him as his thrusts stuttered to a halt. “Holy shit,” he breathed in the aftermath.

“Are you okay?” Hux said.

“Never been better,” said Kylo. Hux could hear the smile in his voice. Gently, he started to withdraw, easing himself free of Hux’s body.

Hux stood a little stiffly. There was tenderness, but no pain. He was pleasantly sore and sated.

“Shower?” he said to Kylo, who was standing a pace behind him with his hands on his hips and his head hanging low.

“Yeah. Sure.”

Hux went to him, pressing a hand over his heart. “Everything all right?”

When Kylo looked up, his eyes were dark and glassy. His face was flushed high along his cheekbones. He reached out and cupped Hux’s jaw, tracing the trimmed edge of his beard.

“You are…” he said, “unbelievable.”

Hux gave him an indulgent smile. “You flatter me.”

“You deserve it,” Kylo said. “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up.”

After a quick, warm shower, they returned to the kitchen to put the kettle back on. Kylo produced two large mugs, one Christmas themed and the other with an image of Captain Kirk and the Starship Enterprise. As Hux eyed it, he said, “Thrift store find. Pretty great, huh?”

“Indeed,” Hux said, taking the Santa’s sleigh mug and dropping a teabag into it.

“Sorry I don’t have a couch,” said Kylo as he poured steaming water into his mug. “Is the bed okay?”

Hux nodded, following him over to the bedside. Kylo piled the pillows up against the headboard. Together, they sat, careful not to spill their tea.

“Where do you write in here?” Hux asked, looking around the dark apartment. The only lights on were the small one above the stove and the lamp on Kylo’s side of the bed. There was no desk or other surface to work at, let alone spread books out on.

“I don’t,” Kylo replied. “I have a carrel in the library. I’m barely here most of the time. I come in to change clothes and sleep for the most part.” He took a sip of tea. “You’re the first person I’ve ever brought here.”

“Really?” said Hux, glancing over at him. “I’m surprised.”

Kylo looked wounded. “You thought I had a guy over every other day or something?”

“I didn’t mean to imply that, no,” Hux said. Perhaps he hadn’t assumed that much, but he hadn’t thought it outside the realm of possibility. Kylo was attractive and outgoing; it certainly couldn’t have been hard for him to find partners to invite home. “I…” Hux continued, “well, it’s really none of my business.”

“No,” said Kylo. “I mean, it can be. You can ask whatever you want.”

Hux was curious; most often he found out a partner’s history long before he went to bed with them. He freely admitted how many people he had been with and expected honesty from others. If they were not willing to tell him, it was hardly a good foundation for the necessary trust in a relationship. A high number of partners didn’t put him off; he just wanted to know that they were dealt with responsibly.

“If you don’t bring anyone here,” he said, “I assume you go to their apartments.”

“Yeah,” said Kylo. He traced the rim of his mug absently with his forefingers. The fingers that had, Hux noted, been inside him only a few minutes before.

“Any particular reason?” Hux asked.

Kylo shrugged. “It means I can leave whenever I want to. I don’t really stick around usually.”

“I see,” said Hux, remembering that he had said something to the same effect the night before at Hux’s apartment. “You hook up and leave.”

Kylo made a sound of assent. “I don’t really do distractions.”

Hux cocked a brow. “From your studies?”

“Yeah,” Kylo said, looking down.

“I understand that,” said Hux, earnest. “I consider my career my priority.”

Kylo smiled. “I can tell. I like that about you.”

“Thank you, I suppose,” said Hux.

“You’re welcome.”

Hux took a sip of his tea, wrapping his long fingers around the mug to sap its warmth. “So,” he said, “if you don’t want to distract yourself, you haven’t seen anyone seriously in some time.”

“That’s right,” Kylo said.

“Before you started graduate school?” said Hux.

“Not really.” Kylo rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve always been pretty focused. People don’t really appreciate getting blown off for history papers.”

“I’d imagine not,” said Hux.

“Would you be upset?” Kylo asked, looking over with open curiosity.

Hux answered honestly. “I might be, if plans had been made in advance and were then canceled on a whim, but if you needed to be working and were unavailable, I would understand. It’s not necessary to see each other every day.”

“Yeah,” said Kylo. Holding his mug in one hand, he slid the other down to Hux’s thigh. “I do want to see you, though. As much as you’ll let me, pretty much.”

Hux held back a pleased smile. “I don’t want to distract you.”

Kylo reached between them to trail his fingertips along Hux’s wrist. “I’d let you.”

“After all the work we did on your research?” Hux said, playing at indignance. “I wouldn’t allow it.”

Kylo huffed a laugh. “Fair enough. I promise I’ll stay on top of the paper.”

Hux nodded curtly, satisfied. “Good.”

“I’ve got to work on it tomorrow,” Kylo said after he had emptied his mug. “Start putting together the formal lit review.”

“Do you enjoy that part?” Hux asked, leaning down to set his own mug down on the floor beside the bed.

“It’s usually not that hard,” Kylo said putting his arm around Hux’s shoulders and pulling him closer, “so I don’t mind it. Shouldn’t take much more than the rest of the week.”

Hux leaned into him, turning to look at him properly. “Then maybe when you’re finished, I can take you to dinner.”

Kylo grinned. “Sure. But if you think I’m going the whole week without seeing you, you’re wrong.”

“We both have a great deal of work to do—”

Kylo cut him off with a kiss. “I’ll make time, gorgeous, if you will.”

“All right,” said Hux, entwining his fingers with Kylo’s. They moved against each other, palm to palm, thumbs brushing over the knuckles. Together they watched their hands, remaining silent but for their breathing.

Hux appreciated the quiet, the ability to just sit in each other’s presence without the necessity to speak. It wasn’t something that he always shared with his past boyfriends, and certainly not when they were still just getting to know one another. But just sitting with Kylo was comfortable. Resting his head against the headboard behind them, Hux closed his eyes.

“Are you tired?” Kylo said.

“A little,” said Hux.

“Then we should probably get some sleep.”

Hux felt a tug at the waist of his pants.

“You going to wear these,” said Kylo, “or do you want something more comfortable?” He had pulled on a pair of sweatpants after their shower, leaving his shirt off.

“What do you usually sleep in?” Hux asked.

Kylo shot him a grin. “Nothing.”

Guiding their joined hands up, Hux pressed Kylo’s between his legs. “So do I.”

“To hell with sleep,” Kylo said, cupping Hux’s hardening cock through the fabric.

Hux laughed and reached for him again.

 

* * *

 

Hux left the apartment the next morning after the breakfast Kylo made for them. He offered to drive Kylo to the library, where he would be spending the day, but Kylo declined, saying he would walk. He gave Hux a long kiss next to his car before Hux drove off.

It was an unremarkable Sunday for the most part, save for a couple of texts from Kylo toward the evening when he said he was heading home. Hux made himself dinner, watched an episode of _Luther_ on Netflix, and then lay down in bed with a book. He paused just before turning off the light to pick up his phone. The message he typed was brief.

 _I’d like to see you tomorrow_. _Will you have lunch with me?_

He clicked the lamp off and waited. A few minutes passed with no response, and he was about to set his phone aside for the night when it lit up with a new text.

 _Of course, I will,_ Kylo replied. _I’ll come to the reference desk at noon. See you then, gorgeous._

They began to make a habit of sharing lunch on Monday afternoons. It wasn’t explicitly agreed upon at first, but on the first day of the next workweek, Kylo simply appeared at the desk. They spent most of the rest of the week apart, though they texted often to catch up on their days. The weekends, however, were spent either at Hux’s apartment or Kylo’s.

Over those days, they watched films and discussed them; Kylo told Hux about his progress on his thesis; and Hux cooked for them before they inevitably tumbled into bed together, where they spent a great deal of time exploring all the things Hux eventually admitted to wanting to try. Kylo was eager and a willing teacher, and before long they had found the positions and touches they enjoyed the most.

As he had said, Kylo had a particular fondness for being taken from behind. Standing or on his knees, he reveled in it. He made needy, desperate noises while Hux thrust into him, always pleading for praise.

“I want to be good for you, Hux. Tell me it feels right. Say it’s good when you’re fucking me.”

The feedback Kylo wanted— _Yes, Kylo, you feel so good; you’re so beautiful when you’re taking my cock_ —still felt strange on Hux’s tongue from time to time, but he was growing more used to it as the weeks went by. Two weeks. Four. Six.

It was on the Tuesday of the seventh week, when Hux was sitting with Phamsa at the pizza kitchen once again, that she asked him the question he had been expecting for some time.

“So,” she said around a bite of her food, “how serious is this thing?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Hux asked, sipping at the sweet tea he had gotten into the habit of ordering.

Phasma rolled her eyes. “You know what I’m talking about. You and Kylo. It’s been over a month now and I’ve yet you hear you refer to him as your boyfriend. That begs the question of how serious it is with him.” She leaned in. “Spill it, Armitage.”

Hux sat back against his chair, eyeing her. “You know I hate it when you use my first name.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” she said, pointing a finger at him. “You are not dodging the question.”

Hux’s sigh was resigned. “Does it really matter so much to you?”

“Of course, it does,” she said. “The whole department is invested in this relationship. Kylo comes to talk to us every Monday while he’s waiting for you to come down from your office. We all know him, and we all like him. We think he’s good for you, and we don’t want you to screw it up.”

Hux frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why would you assume it’s my fault if it didn’t work out?”

“Because he’s crazy about you,” Phasma said. She all but waved a piece of pizza at him, chastising. “Someone who cares about you that much isn’t about to pull away.”

Hux didn’t bother to suppress the spark of pleasure that ignited in his stomach at that. He knew Kylo was very fond of him—he never hesitated to say as much—but there was something about others being able to perceive it so clearly that pleased him even more.

“Well, that’s the good sign,” said Phasma, looking smug. “He still makes you blush.”

“Yes,” Hux muttered, hiding his face in his glass again.

“So, what’s the problem with making it official?” she asked. “I’m not saying you have to get a ring on his finger, but at least put a picture of him on your desk and tell the rest of us you’re spending the weekend with your boyfriend again.”

“Who still puts printed pictures on their desk?” Hux asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Phasma planted her hands firmly on either side of her plate and glared at Hux. “Someone who has a doting boyfriend like bloody Kylo Ren.”

Hux glanced away, fiddling idly the edge of a grease-stained napkin. “We haven’t discussed it,” he admitted.

“Why not?” Phasma said, both blond brows rising and then lowering with suspicion. “Please don’t tell me he’s afraid of commitment. I know he’s young, but—”

“I don’t think it’s that,” Hux said. Kylo may not have had a long history of serious relationships, but he had spent the last few weeks behaving as though he was in one.

“Then it’s something with you?” said Phasma, picking up a fry, dipping it in ketchup, and popping it whole into her mouth. “ _You_ don’t want to commit?”

“No,” Hux said. “I mean, yes. I...wouldn’t mind.”

She sighed. “You ‘wouldn’t mind?’ Come on, Hux. You want this. I’ve seen the way you are with him. He so much as looks at you and you just relax. He’s like some kind of stress relief wizard.” She narrowed her eyes, her lips curving up into a sly smile. “I bet that has something to do with all the sex, but—”

“Please stop there,” he said, holding up a hand.

Phasma chuckled. “All right, but my point stands. He does good things to you. For you. And you’re completely smitten. Don’t try to hide it.”

“I’m not trying to hide it,” said Hux, though he felt heat creeping up his neck as he did. “But if you must hear me say it, then yes. I am quite taken with him.”

“Then sit him down and tell him you want to date.” She sucked the rest of her diet soda up through the straw with a loud, bubbling sound. “Officially.”

Hux scratched the beard on his chin, wondering how such a conversation might go. He could make dinner for them and broach the subject over a meal, but the formality of that seemed wrong for them. He could say something as they lay together in bed, both sweat-damp and satisfied. Yet, that didn’t seem to fit either. He struggled to think of a time that was appropriate.

“You’re overthinking this,” said Phasma. “I can tell.”

“Probably,” Hux said. “I tend to when it comes to these sorts of things.”

Phasma folded her hands in front of her on the table. “I know. But I don’t think it’s going to work this time. You didn’t really think your way into it this time. You just let it happen. You don’t snog just anyone in the reading room.”

“We’ve not made a habit of that,” he grumbled.

Kylo hadn’t been in to use the manuscripts recently, so they had had no cause to be in the reading room together. Hux had been up to Kylo’s small carrel more than once, though. He had a particularly fond memory of bracing himself against the desk while Kylo knelt at his feet and took Hux’s cock in his mouth.

“Yes, yes,” Phasma said, waving dismissively, “but you didn’t give yourself a chance to think yourself out of being with him. You just allowed yourself what you wanted.”

Hux licked his lips with a quick dart of his tongue. Kylo had never ceased to ask him what he wanted and always obliged, whether it was an hour of foreplay and then half as much again of proper sex or only a few hurried touches before falling asleep in each other’s arms after a long week. He had no illusions about wanting to be with Kylo, not anymore. If Kylo would accept him, he was ready to be together.

“I’ll speak to him this weekend,” Hux said.

“Good,” said Phasma. “You deserve to be happy, and we all know he makes you happy.”

Hux gave her a one-sided smile. “He does.”

 

* * *

 

The leaves on the trees beyond Hux’s balcony had burst into color over the past few days, a tableau of red and gold. It was growing colder, but was still warm enough in the mid-afternoon to be outside, as long as he wore a light jacket.

Kylo was sitting across the small bistro table from him, the heels of his black boots resting on the balcony railing. He had a stapled packet of paper in his hand—a printed article—and another stack on the table. The top pages would float up occasionally as the wind caught them. Kylo was dragging the tip of a highlighter across certain lines in the text, and chewing on the cap while he read on.

Hux was reading a novel on his tablet, though he had spent more time watching Kylo over the top of it than he had concentrating on the page. His conversation with Phasma was spinning around in his head, reminding him that he, at some point that day, had to tell Kylo that he wanted to see him seriously. It was already Sunday and soon Kylo would be packing up his overnight bag and returning to his own apartment. Now, it seemed, was as good a time as any.

“Kylo,” he said, setting his tablet aside.

“Hm?” was the response. He didn’t look up from the article.

Hux looked at him in profile, appreciating the long slope of his nose and the shape of his lips below it. “What do you want out of this?”

Kylo’s highlighter stilled. “Out of what?”

“What we’re doing,” said Hux. “Together.”

Kylo turned, his brows drawn in. “Right now? We’re just reading.”

“Not quite what I meant,” Hux said, suppressing a laugh.

Kylo often got engrossed enough in his work that when he was pulled out unexpectedly, he blundered in an attempt to orient himself in the world beyond history books.

“Oh,” he said. “What, then?”

Hux had rehearsed a hundred permutations of how he might say this, trying to anticipate Kylo’s response. But all of them were worthless, he knew; he could never predict any outcome when it came to Kylo Ren.

In the end, he settled on, “I’d like to know what I am to you, and what you'd like to get out of our...this.”

Kylo blinked slowly, as if confused, but then he lifted his legs down from the railing and came to face Hux properly. “Everything,” he said.

Hux wet his lips, keeping his eyes on Kylo. “I don’t understand,” he said slowly.

Kylo set his article down on top of the others, running his palm over it as if to smooth out wrinkles. “You asked me what I want from you,” he said, “from this thing we have. I want everything. Everything you’ll give me.”

Hux rubbed his thumbs along his forefingers nervously. “I don’t know what that means.”

Reaching across the table, Kylo took Hux’s hands in his. “I want to be with you. I want you in my arms, in my bed, in every part of my life you want to be in. You’re important to me, Hux. I want to hang onto you, call you mine. If you’ll let me.”

“Oh,” Hux breathed.

Uncertainty passed across Kylo’s face, a flash of apprehension. “Is that not what you want, too?” he said quietly.

“Of course, it is,” said Hux, squeezing Kylo’s fingers. “I just needed to know if you felt the same way.”

“Was it ever a question, gorgeous?” he asked. “I’ve wanted you since I saw you.”

Hux gave him a look. “Wanting to get me in bed with you is not exactly the topic at hand.”

“I know,” Kylo said. “What I’m saying is, I’m yours, Hux. I have been for weeks. I don’t want anyone else.” Rising, he pulled Hux to his feet. “Kiss me?”

Hux crossed the small space between them and pressed his lips to Kylo’s. His taste was familiar now, the slick heat of his mouth mapped in its entirety by Hux’s tongue. Hux knew how he liked teasing nips along his bottom lip until Hux sucked it harder and with more insistence. Then Kylo would come back hungrily with teeth and tongue, delving into Hux until his lungs were aching for air.

Kylo wanted to be kissed. Hux indulged him more often than not, distracting them from all manner of movies and making Kylo’s friends Rey, Poe, and Finn groan when they were caught at it in their usual booth at the Alderaan Room. Hux had long ago given up trying to keep Kylo off of him when they were out. He had little-to-no shame and had more than once tried to get Hux to, for lack of a better term, make out with him on the Hosnian east quadrangle in the middle of the day. He had pouted when Hux had rebuffed him, though Hux had made it up to him later when Kylo stopped by his office.

As they stood together on the balcony, Kylo slid his arms around Hux’s waist and pulled him close. Hux’s hands went into Kylo’s hair, which had grown out to his shoulders. He had threatened to cut it more than once, but Hux had asked him not to. Kylo had promised he’d leave it alone as long as Hux swore not to shave his beard.

“Why do you like it so much?” he had asked once as they lay together in Kylo’s bed.

“It’s sexy,” Kylo had replied, “and red and it looks good on you.” He traced the ruddy hair above Hux’s lips. “And I love how it feels when you kiss me.”

“It irritates your skin,” Hux had said as he touched Kylo’s pinkened chin.

Kylo’s dark eyes had shone with mischief. “I like a little beard burn.”

“That’s not what it’s called,” said Hux. “It can’t be.”

“It absolutely is,” Kylo laughed.

Hux shook his head. “Good God.”

Kylo had leaned over and nuzzled Hux’s cheek. “I’d like to have it other places, too.”

“And where exactly is that?” said Hux, running his hands up Kylo’s naked back.

“Mm,” he hummed. Reaching behind him, he took Hux by the wrist and moved his hand down to the swell of his buttock. “Here.” Hux’s fingers were led to the backs of Kylo’s thighs. “Here.”

Hux had traced the cleft of his ass lightly. “You want my mouth.”

“Yeah,” Kylo sighed in Hux’s ear. “It would feel so good. I’ve been thinking about it for days. Would you do it for me?”

Hux had never done such a thing before and had had no desire to, but the raspy need in Kylo’s request had him answering, “Yes.” He had hesitated for a moment, but then said, “Now?”

“No,” Kylo had said, falling back against the pillows. “You just let me fuck you. I’m about to pass out. Sleep with me, gorgeous. We’ll talk about the rest later.”

Once again returning his attention to the balcony, Hux slipped his hands along the curve of Kylo’s spine. He cupped his ass through his jeans, kneading the muscle. Kylo made an approving sound and rolled his hips into Hux’s.

“You trying to start something?” he said.

“However did you guess?” Hux replied, wry even as he trailed his lips along Kylo’s jaw. “Are you up for it?”

Kylo tipped his head back to give Hux access to his throat. “Hell yes. I always want you.”

“I know,” said Hux, smiling as he pulled back. “Come inside?”

“What, you don’t want to bend me over the railing and have your way with me right here?”

Hux squeezed Kylo’s ass hard. “Tempting as that is, I have other plans for you.”

Kylo’s lips parted, his brown eyes searching Hux’s face. His “what” came on a breathy exhale.

“Go to the bedroom, strip, and lie on your stomach and I’ll show you.” Taking a step back, Hux looked him up and down. When Kylo hesitated, Hux said, “Go and wait for me there. I expect to see you just as I told you to be.”

Kylo’s surprise at the order was unmistakably marked with interest. Hux had never been one to give commands, and he was taking a risk by issuing one to Kylo; it was possible he would react badly to being told what to do.

“Yes, sir,” he said. The deep timbre of his voice was enough to betray that he very much liked the idea of Hux’s orders.

Hux suppressed a triumphant grin. He had every intention of giving a few more before the afternoon was over, and he wanted Kylo to enjoy every one.

“Go on, then,” he said once more, tipping his head toward the balcony door.

Kylo was quick to comply, though he gave Hux a last heated look before heading across the living room toward the bedroom. He pulled his shirt off as he crossed the threshold.

Hux took a few moments to compose himself. He was about to venture into territory he had never trod before. The research he had done earlier in the week described the basic mechanics of what he needed to do and also a number of techniques he could try. Some were meant to tease and explore where Kylo was most sensitive, but they all ended with Hux’s tongue inside him.

Gathering up the stack of articles and his tablet, Hux headed into the living room, where he set everything down on the coffee table. He made a few noises in the kitchen, running water and putting away the plates they had used at lunch, to make Kylo wait just a few minutes longer. He pulled off his shoes and socks, leaving them by the door. The rest of his clothing he left on for the moment.

Kylo was stretched across the bed when Hux walked in, offering an enticing view of his broad back that transitioned to narrow hips and long legs. He was beautiful laid out like that, Hux’s for the taking.

“You did as I asked,” Hux said, starting to unbutton his shirt. “Good.”

A visible shudder passed through Kylo, the muscles in his back shivering beneath the pale skin. Reaching out, Hux traced the instep of his right foot.

“Ah!” Kylo said, twitching the foot away.

Hux chuckled. “So sensitive. What is it going to do to you when I have my mouth on you?”

“I lose my mind when you go down on me,” Kylo said. “Every time.”

“Oh, yes,” said Hux, running his fingertips up along the back of Kylo’s thigh to the crease where it met his buttock. “But this is something different.” Sitting at the edge of the bed, Hux leaned down and rubbed his lips and chin where his fingers had just been.

Kylo groaned. “Oh, Christ, Hux. You’re going to—”

“Yes.”

“Fuck.”

“In due time,” Hux said as he bit down on the meat of Kylo’s buttock. Kylo’s cry was muffled in the bedspread. Hux sucked a bruise into the skin before pulling back.

He finished undressing slowly, allowing Kylo to watch him as he shed his shirt and pants. He was already half-hard from the sight of Kylo bare, but he disregarded himself for now. This wasn’t about him. Naked, he crept back onto the bed. With both hands, he guided Kylo’s legs apart until he could kneel comfortably between them. Taking hold of both globes of Kylo’s ass, he pressed a kiss to the divots at the base of his spine.

“Has anyone else ever done this to you?” Hux asked, brushing the bristles of his beard along the rise of one buttock.

“No,” Kylo said. “Never.”

Hux moved to Kylo’s inner thigh, rubbing his cheek there. “But you wanted it. Badly.”

“Yeah. I really did. I mean, I do.” He let out a shaky breath. “I want you to do it.”

“I will,” said Hux, “but you’ll have to be very good for me. Can you do that, Kylo?”

“Yes,” he said. “Whatever you need.”

Hux clicked his tongue admonishingly, though he kept his face pressed close to Kylo’s skin. “It’s not what I need. Not this time. This is for you.” He nuzzled the cleft, his chin rubbing lightly against Kylo’s testicles where they were caught between his legs.

“Holy shit,” Kylo said.

“You like that,” said Hux, remaining where he was. “It feels good?”

“It feels amazing.”

Hux opened his mouth just enough to slide his tongue out for a brief taste. Kylo gasped and swore.

“Mm,” Hux hummed, pleased at the response. “You’re going to love this, aren’t you? Spread wide for me so I can take you with my lips, my tongue.”

The embarrassment he had once felt at such talk didn’t return as he spoke to Kylo now. There was no shame and no trepidation, not anymore. This was what Kylo liked, and damned if Hux wasn’t going to give it to him.

“Yeah,” was Kylo’s response.

“You’re going to come apart for me,” said Hux as he continued to move his face along Kylo’s legs and between them. “You’ll be shaking and begging me to bring you off, won’t you?”

Kylo moaned low, the muscles of his legs trembling and tensing.

“Ah, ah,” Hux chided. He stroked his hand along one side of Kylo’s ass while pressing his cheek to the other. “Relax.”

Kylo’s ribs expanded as he took a deep breath. He stilled under Hux’s hands.

“That’s right,” said Hux. “I want you to take this properly. And we’ve only just begun.”

Starting from the lowest point of Kylo’s cleft, Hux licked along it, making sure to drag his chin in its wake, prickling Kylo’s sensitive skin. The needy sound Kylo made sent an electric jolt straight to Hux’s cock. He was fully hard now, unexpectedly turned on by Kylo’s submission. Hux had never considered himself dominant in the bedroom, but there was something about exerting a measure of power over a willing partner that he responded strongly to.

“Tell me how much you want this, Kylo,” he said. “How desperate you are for it.”

“I want it so much,” Kylo panted. “I need it. I’ve been imagining what you’d look like while you do it, your face against me while you fuck me with your tongue. It’s going to feel so fucking good, Hux. You always make me feel incredible.”

Hux made a soft sound of approval, stroking where his mouth had just been. Kylo’s skin was turning pink in the places where Hux had been rubbing his beard. He didn’t want to get to the point of actually rubbing him raw, though, and seeing as they still had quite a bit to go, he moved back slightly, soothing the flesh with his warm palms. Carefully parting Kylo’s cheeks, he bent to taste him in earnest.

“Oh, my _God_ ,” Kylo said as Hux touched him with the tip of his tongue, circling the furl of muscle.

Hux’s stomach tightened with pleasure at the immediate reaction. Encouraged, he moved the flat of his tongue against Kylo in a languorous drag. Kylo spat a litany of curses interspersed with Hux’s name.

“You’ll mind your language,” Hux said, his lips still pressed to Kylo. “I want to hear what other sounds you’ll make for me.”

Kylo gave a whine that was almost pained.

“What do you say?” said Hux.

“Yes,” Kylo said. “Yes, sir.”

Hux rewarded him with another long stroke of his tongue, increasing the pressure at Kylo’s entrance. He was tight; Hux had been the one to take his cock over the course of the weekend, so Kylo had yet to be stretched. Hux closed his lips around Kylo and sucked, coaxing him to relax.

Kylo buried his face in the comforter and moaned. With gentle prodding, Hux breached him. The bed shook as Kylo pounded his fist into the mattress, his cries harsh and urgent. Hux pressed his tongue in deeper, hoping to elicit more.

He worked steadily for several minutes, moving in and out of Kylo, lapping at him when he withdrew. The coarse hair of his bead was damp from the wetness of his mouth. Hux hoped it would soften the scratch and keep him from hurting Kylo as he moved him up where he wanted him now.

Drawing back, he said, “Sit up and come here.”

Kylo pushed himself up and turned to look at Hux inquisitively.

Hux traced the line of his jaw. “I’m going to lie down,” he said, “and you’re going to be above me. Do you understand?”

Kylo nodded fervently, hunger flashing in his eyes. Hux went down onto his back and gestured Kylo to him. Kylo crept toward him until he was kneeling beside Hux’s head.

“Go on, then,” Hux said, giving his buttock a light swat.

Cautious not to strike Hux with his knee, Kylo swung his leg over, positioning himself just above Hux’s face. Hux took in the view for a moment, appreciating how exposed Kylo was, how willing.

“Touch yourself,” he said. “You’re going to come like this.”

“God, yes,” Kylo said. Carrying his weight on his knees, he moved his right hand to his cock. He gave it a slow pump. “Like this?”

“However you need it,” said Hux. “Let me do the rest.”

Planting his hands firmly on both buttocks, Hux delved back into him. Kylo barked a fierce cry, nearly doubling over. Hux kept a hold of him, pulling him down where he needed to be for Hux to properly see to him. He worked his cock in steady strokes as Hux lapped at him. It wasn’t long before he was shaking and moaning with each slide of Hux’s tongue. Hux listened raptly as he fell apart atop him. What Kylo said next, though, sent a potent spike of need through Hux.

“Oh, God, baby,” he groaned. “Just a little more. I’m so close. Hux, baby, please.”

Such a small endearment, but it wracked Hux with shudders. He redoubled his efforts, licking into Kylo with desperation. A few seconds later, Kylo was shouting and coming across Hux’s stomach in warm spurts. Hux continued until Kylo fell silent, floating down from his orgasm. Letting his head fall back against the bed, Hux sighed.

“Can I move?” Kylo asked quietly.

“Mm-hm.”

Kylo lifted himself away from Hux, collapsing on his side next to him. Hux wiped a hand across his lips and chin and then turned to face him.

“God _damn_ , gorgeous,” Kylo said. “That was unbelievable.”

Hux smiled. “Good.”

Leaning over, Kylo kissed him on the mouth. He lingered, taking Hux’s lower lip between his teeth and worrying it there.

“Do you want to fuck me?” he said between kisses.

“Do you want me to?” Hux asked.

“Always.”

Hux laughed lightly. “Certainly not always.” He drew in a sharp breath as Kylo closed his hand around Hux’s cock. His erection had flagged some, but was quickly filling out again as Kylo held him.

“ _Always_ ,” Kylo said, biting the lobe of Hux’s ear. “I want to ride you. Will you let me?”

“Yes.”

Kylo kissed his neck. “I want you to come inside me.”

Hux circled Kylo’s nipple with his forefinger. “I have before.”

“Not bare,” said Kylo, looking at Hux intently.

Hux swallowed, shocked and enticed. In the weeks since they had been seeing each other, they had always used protection, but both of them had recently gotten tested and come away clean. There was no real reason that they couldn’t fuck bare. It was simply an intimacy Hux had never afforded a boyfriend. But as he had acknowledged many times before, Kylo was different from any other man he had ever been with. And Hux wanted to feel what it was like to be inside him with no barrier between them.

“All right,” he said. “Yes.”

Kylo touched his cheek. “You sure?”

Hux nodded. “I am.”

“Okay, baby,” said Kylo, thumbing the head of Hux’s cock. “I’ll make it good for you.”

“You always do,” Hux said as he brushed his palm over Kylo’s hair.

Kylo accepted the touch with a small sigh, closing his eyes. Hux petted him once or twice more, watching the shadows his eyelashes cast on his cheekbones. He looked vulnerable like this, and young. His features were defined, but still marked with the lingering fullness of boyhood. He would grow leaner with time, the lines of his jaw more pronounced, the hollows of his dark eyes deeper. Hux wanted to see it happen. He wanted to keep Kylo with him for years to come.

A twist of Kylo’s wrist grounded Hux firmly in the present, however, keeping his attention on the fingers around his cock. He was fully hard now, filling Kylo’s hand. Looking down his body, he watched as Kylo leaned down to take him into his mouth.

Hux’s grip on his hair tightened as Kylo sucked him in torturous, but equally blissful pulls. Hux let the sensation wash over him, reveling in the crude, wet noises Kylo was making. With a gentle tug of his hair, though, Hux said his name. Kylo looked up at him, his lips still around the head of Hux’s cock.

“I want to be inside you,” said Hux.

“Yes, sir,” Kylo said as he pressed a kiss to the tip of Hux, making him shudder. Setting one hand on Hux’s chest to steady himself, Kylo swung his right leg over Hux’s hips until he was astride him.

Hux was struck by the breadth of him, shoulders and chest wide enough to envelop Hux’s own. Even his palms were broader as they were splayed out over Hux’s pectorals. Hux had never been caught up in finding partners who were bigger than him; he had dated a few men who were shorter and just as narrow. But he liked Kylo’s size and the considerable power that came with it.

Kylo reached over to the bedside table where he knew Hux kept the lubricant. He popped the cap open as he pulled it from the drawer, and anointed his hand. With deliberate slowness, he wrapped it around Hux again and slicked him with each twisting stroke. Kylo released him only for a moment to line himself up.

“Wait,” said Hux, lifting his head. “Don’t you need to get ready?”

Kylo smiled down at him. “You did that for me.”

Hux set his hand on Kylo’s hip, rubbing his thumb along the ridge of the bone. “But that couldn’t have been enough.”

“It was,” said Kylo. “Trust me.”

Hux gave a brief nod, knowing Kylo would stop if something was wrong. He said nothing more, though, as he positioned himself above Hux and then gently began to lower himself down onto Hux’s cock. Hux watched, spellbound, as Kylo took him into his body, until they were fully joined.

The slick tightness around Hux was unhindered by the latex of a condom, and he could feel the even greater heat. It was far more intense than Hux had expected, and his breath caught at even the smallest movement.

Kylo was breathing heavily through his mouth, and the muscles of his thighs trembled just slightly from holding himself up and still. His hair fell around his face as he looked down.

Hux slid his hands up to Kylo’s waist and squeezed. “It feels incredible. Doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” said Kylo. “Better than I even imagined. I don’t think I can ever go back.”

“We don’t have to,” Hux said.

Kylo opened his eyes to meet Hux’s gaze. “Promise?”

Hux smiled. “I promise.”

Kylo rose up then, drawing himself away from Hux and then falling back down onto him. Hux held him tight, though he allowed him to set the pace. It was almost careful at first, letting both of them enjoy the new sensations, but Kylo grew more desperate as the minutes passed. He rode Hux harder, his pale skin shining with sweat.

Hux watched him raptly, taking in every minute change in his expression: the open-mouthed gasps, the way his brow wrinkled when he pinched his eyes tight closed. He was flushed and beautiful; it took Hux’s breath away.

“Kylo,” he said. “I’m close. So close. Please don’t stop.”

“Never, baby,” Kylo breathed, rolling his hips with each rise and fall. “I never want to stop feeling like this.”

A shock of white-hot pleasure tore through Hux, making him cry out. His cock pulsed as he came into Kylo.

When his vision cleared, he found Kylo looking down at him with wide, brown eyes. He reached out and touched Hux’s cheek.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” Hux echoed.

“You okay?” It was quiet, barely more than a murmur.

Hux’s head was whirling with the intensity of the orgasm, but he replied, “I am.”

Kylo’s smile was wide and toothy. “The way you looked when you came...gorgeous.”

Hux laughed weakly. “Will you always call me that?”

“Yep,” said Kylo. “That going to be a problem?”

“No,” Hux said. “I like it.”

Kylo leaned down and kissed Hux’s lips. “I like you.”

Warm and sated, contentment humming through him, Hux said, “I know.”

 

* * *

 

**Six Months Later**

 

“And receiving the Masters of Medieval History, Benjamin Solo.”

Hux brought his hands together to applaud, smiling as Kylo, in his black robes and mortarboard, crossed the stage to shake the hand of the dean and take his certificate. His actual diploma, embossed with gold letters, would be sent to him a few weeks later.

Paper in hand, Kylo made his way back to his seat, but not before looking up and catching Hux’s eye. He pressed two fingers to his lips and extended them in Hux’s direction.

Only a few more students were called after him, including the doctoral recipients, both of whom delivered rather tedious speeches about the importance of their research. Hux was relieved when the dean finally called an end to the proceedings.

Hux followed the flow of people out into the hall outside the auditorium, where light refreshments had been set out. Hux picked up a chocolate chip cookie, which he chewed on slowly as he watched the undergraduates filing out first, going to hug their parents and laugh with their classmates.

When he finally saw Kylo, he cut his way through the crowd to meet him at the center of the room. Kylo caught him up in his arms and hugged him tightly.

“Congratulations,” Hux said when Kylo had released him. He tugged at the tassels around Kylo’s neck that indicated his highest honors. “I’m proud of you.”

“Yeah?” said Kylo, tipping Hux’s chin up. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Your translations, all the dinners you cooked so I wouldn’t waste away.” Hux laughed. “The sex helped, too. Stress relief.”

Hux offered a sly, one-sided smile. “Are you feeling stressed right now?” He leaned in to speak into Kylo’s ear. “I would guess the eighth floor of the library is quite deserted at the moment.”

“I like the way you think,” said Kylo, “but we have something to do first.”

Lacing his fingers together with Hux’s, he led him over to table somewhat hidden near the entrance to the auditorium. He picked up an unadorned white box and handed it to Hux.

“This is your graduation,” Hux said. “Aren’t I supposed to be the one getting you gifts?”

“Just open it,” Kylo said, eager.

Admittedly curious, Hux set the box down on the table and lifted the lid. Inside was a book, freshly bound by the looks of it. He picked it up carefully and opened the cover. It creaked with newness. On the first page was the familiar title of Kylo’s thesis.

“You had it printed,” Hux said.

“Yeah,” said Kylo. “For you to have.”

Licking his forefinger and thumb—likely just to irritate Hux—he turned to the next page. It was blank save for a brief statement near the middle: “For Hux, with love.”

“I told you I’d dedicate it to you,” Kylo said, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes.

Hux’s chest was tight, his heart beating loudly. He traced the words with the pads of his fingers. “‘With love?’”

Kylo cupped Hux’s jaw. “Gorgeous, you know I love you. Don’t you love me, too?”

“Yes, Kylo,” Hux said without hesitation. He couldn’t pinpoint the moment he had realized just how much he cared about Kylo Ren, but there was no doubt he did, deeply. “I love you.”

Their kiss was likely too long to be acceptable in the current company, but Hux hardly cared. He wrapped his arms around Kylo’s neck, caught in a swell of happiness. The thesis that lay on the table belonged to both of them now, having brought Kylo unexpectedly into Hux’s life and turning it all but on its head. Given the opportunity to return to what had been, though, he knew he never would.

“So, what exactly were you saying about the eighth floor a few minutes ago?” Kylo said, holding Hux around the waist.

Hux grinned wickedly.

**Author's Note:**

> The awesome [instantlysupercoffee](https://instantlysupercoffee.tumblr.com/) did [this fabulous drawing](https://instantlysupercoffee.tumblr.com/post/158571500922/no-the-hosnian-university-library-will) of Hux and Kylo in the library. There's even a reference to the disreputable books of A. HuXXX from [another one of my stories](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10277690).
> 
>  
> 
> I'm on tumblr [here](http://gefionne.tumblr.com/). Come visit!


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